Court Theatre, under the leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, is proud to announce its 70th season. The 2024/25 season will feature Eugene Lee's searing and rhythmic East Texas Hot Links, directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson; the groundbreaking musical Falsettos, with music and lyrics by William Finn, book by William Finn and James Lapine, produced in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company, and directed by Nick Bowling, TimeLine Theatre Associate Artistic Director; A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry's tale of class and aspiration, directed by Associate Artistic Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent; and finally, Berlin, the exhilarating world premiere by Mickle Maher based on Jason Lutes's graphic novel of the same name, directed by Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell.

Court's 2024/25 season spans genre and form, with productions that speak to our current moment with clarity and heft. The season begins with a skillful work of lyricism, simultaneously a love story and a thriller; it continues with a shimmering musical about family, followed by a South Side classic rooted in lived history and liberation; and it concludes with a fast-paced world premiere.

The landmark 70th season is a celebration of milestones. This season is the year in which Charles Newell will transition from Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director to Senior Artistic Consultant and the year in which Court will welcome its new Artistic Director. Furthermore, each production in the season is representative of a milestone of its own and is imbued with a keen sense of foresight; staging these plays at this moment instigates a fascinating exploration of what it means to live in a present that was imagined by works of the past. The 2024/25 season is here, and the time is now.

"The lineup for the 2024/25 season is jaw-droppingly good," shares Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell. "These productions interrogate community; the cost of striving for a better life; and the very ways we tell stories, all of which are themes that feel particularly resonant. The timeliness of this season speaks to the enduring power of classic theatre and the continued need to revisit these stories. We can't wait to share this season with our audiences."

"Court continues to push the boundaries of what classic theatre can be, and that is clearly reflected in the 2024/25 season," says Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre. "Each of these plays has an acute sense of relevance and urgency; now is the time to tell these stories with these artists. The work that we're doing offstage to complement and support the art – our engagement programming, our education initiatives, collaborations with the University of Chicago, a producing partnership with TimeLine Theatre, and deepening our relationships across the South Side – will only enhance these creative endeavors."

The 2024/25 Court Theatre Season Up Close:

EAST TEXAS HOT LINKS

By Eugene Lee

Directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson

September 6 – September 29, 2024

Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, East Texas Hot Links is a gripping character study, a lyrical masterpiece, and portrait of community. It is 1955 in the piney woods of East Texas and racial tensions are high, yet the Top O' the Hill Café remains a haven. There, regulars share stories, joke, unwind, and trade friendly barbs. The café is a refuge that keeps the outside world at bay, until a mysterious omen forces the outside in.

Court's 2024/25 season opener is a tribute to Resident Artist and Director Ron OJ Parson's (Two Trains Running) first production in Chicago, his deep collaboration with playwright Eugene Lee, and the founding of Onyx Theatre Ensemble, the storied theatre company that first produced East Texas Hot Links in Chicago thirty years ago.

By returning to Top O' the Hill Café decades later, Parson asserts East Texas's place in the modern theatrical canon, honors the legacy of Onyx, and obliterates the line between America's fraught past and its charged present.

FALSETTOS

Music and Lyrics by William Finn

Book by William Finn and James Lapine

Co-produced with TimeLine Theatre Company

Directed by Nick Bowling, TimeLine Theatre Associate Artistic Director

November 8 – December 8, 2024

Tony Award-winning Falsettos is a tribute to family and its many forms; a playful interrogation of faith and identity; and a celebration of the beauty, complexity, and necessity of love.

Marvin has left his wife, Trina, for his male lover; Trina has married Marvin's therapist; and their son, Jason, is grappling with his parents' divorce and his looming Bar Mitzvah. Everyone's world has been upended and now they must explore what their new lives may hold. Featuring a sung-through score and set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic, Falsettos is a humorous and heartbreaking web of ex-spouses, co-parents, new lovers, and the lesbians next door.

TimeLine Theatre Associate Artistic Director Nick Bowling (The Lehman Trilogy) returns to Court Theatre – where he began his career almost thirty years ago alongside Charles Newell – to make his Court directorial debut with this celebratory co-production with TimeLine Theatre Company. Groundbreaking in its depiction of queerness, Falsettos shines with ingenuity and contemporary relevance.

A RAISIN IN THE SUN

By Lorraine Hansberry

Directed by Associate Artistic Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent

February 7 – March 9, 2025

Winner of the Tony Award for Best Play, a Pulitzer Prize, and the first play written by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway, Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is a stunning portrayal of a family's fight for dignity and the right to dream.

As the Youngers await their recently deceased patriarch's life insurance check, they allow themselves to imagine a bigger life – a life with room to breathe – until those plans are thrown into jeopardy. Hansberry's language rings as wise and prescient as ever in her moving answer to Langston Hughes's question, What happens to a dream deferred?

Staged sixty years after Lorraine Hansberry's passing, Associate Artistic Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent (Antigone) brings Hansberry's masterpiece home to Chicago's vibrant South Side and Court's stage for the very first time.

BERLIN

WORLD PREMIERE

By Mickle Maher

Based on the graphic novel by Jason Lutes

Directed by Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell

April 25 – May 18, 2025

Berlin is an unforgettable mosaic of intersecting narratives set amidst the decline of Weimar Germany. This original commission brings Jason Lutes's exhilarating and acclaimed graphic novel to life.

Fascism is taking hold; revolutionaries are organizing; creatives are trying to capture the ineffable nature of their changing city; and – as everything falls apart – everyone is faced with a choice: abandon Berlin or fight to survive.

Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Charles Newell (The Gospel at Colonus) directs Mickle Maher's propulsive adaptation, an ever-shifting kaleidoscope of everyday people trying to survive one of the most remarkable moments in history. Set almost one hundred years ago, Berlin speaks to our current moment, and our future, with undeniable urgency.

Subscription Information

Three and four-play subscriptions to Court's 2024/25 season range from $114 to $280 and are on sale now. To purchase a subscription or to receive more information, call the Court Theatre Box Office at (773) 753-4472, or visit Court's website at CourtTheatre.org. Individual tickets for all productions will be available in summer 2024.

Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. In residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago's historic South Side, we engage our audiences with intimate and provocative experiences that inspire deeper exploration of the enduring questions that confront humanity and connect us as people.

Recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions in 2016, TimeLine Theatre was founded in 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. TimeLine Theatre Company is currently helmed by Artistic Director PJ Powers and Executive Director Mica Cole. For more information about TimeLine, visit timelinetheatre.com.

Audiences can now see Message In A Bottle, a new dance theatre production choregraphed by Sadler's Wells' Associate Artist Kate Prince at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre for a limited run, from February 28, 2024 to March 3, 2024. Produced by Sadler's Wells and Universal Music UK, Message In A Bottle is a dance theatre production set to the music of 17-time Grammy Award-winning artist Sting. Tickets are now available for this smashing production. Prices range from $32 to $95 with a select number of premium tickets available for all performances. 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.. Current Broadway In Chicago subscribers can add to their subscription by calling (312) 977-1717.

Performance Schedule

Wednesday through Friday 7:00PM (Thursday, February 29 Matinee at 1:00PM)

Saturday at 2:00PM and 7:30PM

Sunday at 1:00PM and 6:30PM

Sadler's Wells and Universal Music UK present Message In A Bottle, a new dance theatre production by Sadler's Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince, set to the music of 17-time Grammy Award-winning artist Sting. Message In A Bottle made its world premiere at Sadler's Wells' West End venue, the Peacock Theatre, on Wednesday 19 February 2020. Gravity-defying lyrical hip hop dance and breath-taking music combine in a moving story of humanity and hope.

Message In A Bottle sees a village alive with joyous celebrations suddenly come under siege. In the chaos, three siblings - Leto, Mati and Tana - are separated from their parents. They undertake a perilous journey to new lands and set out on their own extraordinary adventures. Songs include Every Breath You Take, Roxanne, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Walking On The Moon, Englishman In New York, Shape Of My Heart and Fields Of Gold.

The soundtrack to Message In A Bottle also features new vocals by Sting and new arrangements by Grammy and Tony award winner Alex Lacamoire (Hamilton, The Greatest Showman), with guest vocals from award-winning actress and singer Beverley Knight MBE and Lynval Golding (The Specials).

About Kate Prince MBE

Director and Choreographer

Kate Prince is a director, writer and choreographer. She is also the Artistic Director of ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company which she founded in 2002. Kate is an Associate Artist at both The Old Vic and Sadler's Wells, where ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company is also a Resident Company.

In 2005 Sadler's Wells commissioned the company's first full-length work, Into the Hoods, conceived and directed by Kate. The show's premiere in 2006 met with widespread critical acclaim and Into the Hoods went on to become the first hip hop dance show to transfer to the West End in 2008, after two critically successful runs at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Kate's further work with ZooNation includes the Olivier-nominated Some Like It Hip Hop (The Peacock, 2011- 13, 2019 and two UK tours), Groove on Down the Road (Southbank Centre, 2013-14), ZooNation: Unplugged (Sadler's Wells, 2013), The Mad Hatter's Tea Party (Royal Opera House, Linbury Studio, 2014 and Roundhouse, 2016), Into the Hoods: Remixed (The Peacock, 2015-16 and UK tour), and SYLVIA (The Old Vic, 2018). The company created special performances for Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebrations and for the Laurence Olivier Awards in 2011, creating new choreography for West Side Story with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

For TV, Kate's credits include work for Strictly Come Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance, The Royal Variety Show, Top of the Pops, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Take Away, CD:UK, Blue Peter, Strictly Dance Fever, Sport Relief, The Album Chart Show, Discomania and PopWorld. Her film work includes choreography for Everybody's Talking About Jamie, StreetDance 3D and The Holloway Laundrette, which she wrote & directed for BAFTA/Channel 4.

Other theatre work includes Everybody's Talking About Jamie for Jonathan Butterell (Sheffield Crucible & West End, nominated for Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer), Enda Walsh's Ballyturk (National Theatre), Stephen Mear's Shoes (Sadler's Wells and The Peacock), I Can't Sing: The X-Factor Musical (London Palladium) and A Mad World My Masters (Royal Shakespeare Company), both for Sean Foley.

With ZooNation she has also created choreography for sporting events, including the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Handover Ceremonies (2008), the Opening Ceremony of the Tour de France (2007) and the IOC opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics at the Royal Opera House. In 2018, ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company became an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and a registered charity, in recognition of its mission to inspire the next generation of theatregoers and theatremakers. In 2020, Kate was the subject of the BBC Imagine Documentary series presented by Alan Yentob entitled Kate Prince: Every Move She Makes.

Kate has been nominated for five Olivier Awards, a South Bank Sky Arts Award, a WhatsOnStage Award and two Critics' Circle National Dance Awards. Kate has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Winchester and in 2019 Kate received an MBE for services to dance.

Most recently Kate co-wrote, directed and choreographed SYLVIA at the Old Vic, for which she was nominated for the Gillian Lynne Olivier Award for best theatre choreographer.

Kate's proudest achievement is being Leo's wife and Ella's mum.

About Sting

Music and Lyrics

Composer, singer-songwriter, actor, author, and activist Sting was born in Newcastle, England before moving to London in 1977 to form The Police with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. The band released five studio albums, earned six GRAMMY Awards® and two Brits, and was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

One of the world's most distinctive solo artists, Sting has received an additional 11 GRAMMY Awards®, two Brits, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, four Oscar nominations, a TONY nomination and has sold 100 million albums from his combined work with The Police and as a solo artist. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has received the Kennedy Center Honors, as well as honorary Doctorate of Music degrees from Northumbria University (1992), Berklee College of Music (1994), University of Newcastle upon Tyne (2006) and Brown University (2018).

Sting, managed by Martin Kierszenbaum/Cherrytree Music Company, has appeared in more than 15 films, a variety of TV shows and authored two books, including The New York Times best-selling memoir, Broken Music. In 1989 he starred in The Threepenny Opera on Broadway.  His most recent theatre project is the Tony®-nominated musical The Last Ship, inspired by his memories of the shipbuilding community of Wallsend in the northeast of England where he was born and raised.

In 2019, an album entitled My Songs, featuring contemporary interpretations of his most celebrated hits, was released, and followed by a world tour and acclaimed Las Vegas residency of the same name. Sting's latest album, The Bridge, showcases his prolific and diverse songwriting prowess, representing various stages and styles from throughout his unrivaled career. Most recently, Sting produced Shaggy's album, Com Fly Wid Mi which finds the reggae icon performing the Sinatra songbook in a reggae style and earned a Grammy Award nomination for it.

Earlier this year, Sting became a Fellow of the Ivors Academy – the highest honor reserved for those who have reshaped and redefined the art and craft of music creation, while his hit song, "Every Breath You Take" was added to Spotify's 'Billions Club,' having amassed over 1 billion streams on the platform with the correlating music video surpassing 1 billion streams on YouTube. His critically acclaimed My Songs world tour is currently underway and finds the 17-time Grammy Award winning artist performing his most beloved songs with an electric rock ensemble. Full tour itinerary can be found here.

Sting's support for human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, and Live Aid mirrors his art in its universal outreach.  Along with wife Trudie Styler, Sting founded the Rainforest Fund in 1989 to protect both the world's rainforests and the indigenous people living there. Together they have held 19 benefit concerts to raise funds and awareness for our planet's endangered resources. Since its inception, the Rainforest Fund has expanded to a network of interconnected organizations working in more than 20 countries over three continents.

For the latest news, official fan club access and more, please visit: www.sting.com

About Sadler's Wells

Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation. We strive to make and share dance that inspires us all. Our acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. 

We commission, produce and present more dance than any other organisation in the world. Since 2005, we have helped to bring more than 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown. Our acclaimed productions tour the world. Since 2005 we've produced 64 new full-length works and performed to audiences of more than two million, touring to 51 countries. 

Each year, over half a million people visit our three London theatres - Sadler's Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio and Peacock Theatre. Millions more attend our touring productions nationally and internationally or explore our digital platforms, including Sadler's Wells Digital Stage.  

Sadler's Wells East  

In 2024 we're opening a fourth London venue in Stratford's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Sadler's Wells East will house a 550-seat mid-scale theatre, as well as facilities for the new Rose Choreographic School and the hip hop theatre training centre, Academy Breakin' Convention.  

Sadler's Wells East joins the rich cultural heritage of Stratford, opening in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as part of the East Bank development alongside the BBC, UAL's London College of Fashion, UCL and the V&A. Sadler's Wells East will support artist development and training, and the creation of new work. It will build the infrastructure for dance and make it accessible to more people. Sadler's Wells East will house a flexible theatre presenting a wide variety of dance performances. Community will be at the heart of Sadler's Wells East with a large open foyer that can be used by everyone as a meeting or performance space. There will also be dance studios and world-class dance facilities for dancemakers to train, create and rehearse productions. 

Supporting artists 

Supporting artists is at the heart of our work. We have associate artists and companies, which nurture some of the most exciting talent working in dance today. We host the National Youth Dance Company, which draws together some of the brightest young dancers from across the country. Sadler's Wells Breakin' Convention runs professional development programmes to champion and develop the world's best hip hop artists, as well as producing, programming and touring groundbreaking hip hop performances. 

Learning and community links 

Around 30,000 people take part in our learning and engagement programmes every year. We support schools local to our theatres in Islington and Stratford, designing experiences for children and young people to watch, explore and critically engage with the arts. We also run Company of Elders, a resident performance company of dancers aged over 60 who rehearse with renowned artists to make new work for public performances locally, nationally and internationally. 

Sadler's Wells is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. 

www.sadlerswells.com 

Stay up to date with everything Sadler's Wells on social media 

Facebook: @SadlersWells 

Twitter: @Sadlers_Wells 

Instagram: @sadlers_wells 

YouTube: Sadler's Wells Theatre 

About Broadway In Chicago

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 24 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, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com

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Sweetback Productions, in collaboration with Labyrinth Arts, is proud to announce Hamburgers and Disappointment: Plays about Enoughness, a festival of works by Barrie Cole playing in repertory, May 2 - 19 at 7:30 p.m., at Labyrinth Club, 3658 N. Pulaski Road. Performances of Schedule 1 includes I Love You Permanently and Fruit Tree Backpack runs on Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Schedule 2 that includes Capacity and Meaning is Tricky runs on Fridays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. In addition, for those who may not be able to attend, a digital play, Elevator Tours, will be available for digital download for $10.  Press nights for Hamburgers and Disappointment: Plays about Enoughness are Schedule 1, Saturday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m., and schedule 2, Sunday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are now on sale at SweetBackProductions.com.

“All of us at Labyrinth are proud to be co-producing this festival of Barrie Cole’s works,” said Artistic Director and Founder Diane Hamm of Labyrinth Arts. “We look forward to welcoming audiences, both familiar with her work and those experiencing them for the first time, to experience the complete relationship cycle created by Barrie.”  

Hamburgers and Disappointment: Plays about Enoughness, is a new festival of four short, two-character plays by Chicago-based playwright, Barrie Cole. The festival includes performances in repertory:

SCHEDULE 1

Performed on Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

Fruit Tree Backpack

Written by Barrie Cole (she/her) 

Directed by Jayita Bhattacharya (she/her)

Ceil (Kristy Lockhart, she/her) and Anna (Julia Williams, she/her) traverse the various rooms inside the exhausting, sweet, metaphorical mansion of love.

I Love You Permanently

Written by Barrie Cole (she/her) 

Directed by Jen Moniz (she/her) 

Jay (Jeffrey Bivens, he/him) wants to be with Lee (Vicki Walden, she/her), but is unable to leave his abusive relationship. They meet one last time and try to find out if it is possible to have an entire relationship in the span of one cold night.

SCHEDULE 2

Performed on Fridays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m.

WORLD PREMIERE

Capacity

Written by Barrie Cole (she/her) 

Capacity is a world premiere and completes Cole’s collection of two-person plays about relationships. The play explores a thorny friendship between a playwright (Kelly Anchors, she/her) and an actor (KellyAnn Corcoran, she/her) who were both, at different times, married to the same man.

Meaning is Tricky

Written by Barrie Cole (she/her) 

Originally directed by Jen Moniz (she/her)

Roommates and former lovers Mark (David Isaacson, he/him) and Clare (Diana Slickman, she/her) navigate Clare's burgeoning new relationship with a TV-obsessed man in an open marriage whose wife operates a flower kiosk.

AUDIO PLAY 

Elevator Tours 

Written by Barrie Cole (she/her) 

Originally directed by Jen Moniz (she/her)

A special audio play with animation. Ruth (Carolyn Hoerdemann, she/her) has just moved into a new apartment when her recently divorced friend Will (Colm O’Reilly, he/him), comes to stay with her. They discuss life as a spectacle, art and sex.

The creative team for Hamburgers and Disappointment: Plays about Enoughness includes: Pamela L. Parker(set/props designer, she/her); Diane Hamm (producer/lighting designer, she/her); Kelly Anchors (producer/costume designer, she/her); Paul Brennan (film/sound designer, he/him); Charlotte Lastra (stage manager, she/her); Hannah Tymosko(stage manager, she/her); Timothy Hiatt (photographer, he/him) and Jules Darling (graphic designer, they/them).

ABOUT BARRIE COLE, playwright

Barrie Cole has written 14 plays, numerous monologue works, as well as essays, hybrid-works and more. Her plays have been produced by Theater Oobleck, Curious Theatre Branch and others.The Chicago Reader said about Cole: “Her ambiguously concrete work layers childlike simplicity over seasoned melancholy to produce piercing, wondrous images of charming, discomfiting transformation.”  

ABOUT JEN MONIZ, director, I Love You Permanently

Jen Moniz is an immigration paralegal, artisan gelato maker and writer, performer, producer and director of fringe theater. She is originally from California and has called Chicago home for 17 years. She has previously directed Mexico, Room, Elevator Tours, On Loss, To Relax and Laugh, Meaning is Tricky and Reverse Gossip.

ABOUT JAYITA BHATTACHARYA, director, Fruit Tree Backpack

Jayita Bhattacharya is a multidisciplinary theatre artist originally from Southern California, who has made her home in Chicago as an ensemble member of Curious Theatre Branch. Directing credits include What Is Even Happening?!!! by Kristin Garrison, Lizzie Borden Is Smashing by Sue Cargill and The McGuffins Run the 440 by Beau O'Reilly. She wrote the plays To End to Seem to End, today like a kind of shivering and Should We Put It Out? (The Smoke). Bhattacharya has also appeared in numerous Curious and Rhinofest productions through the years, including The Skriker, 4:48 Psychosis, Evanston Which Is Over There, The Buzz that is the Buzz and most recently, the revival of Hit Me Like a Flower.

ABOUT SWEETBACK PRODUCTIONS

Sweetback Productions was founded in 1994 by Kelly Anchors and Mike McKune. They started with a string of hit late night parodies of cult films that includes; Plan 9 From Outer Space, Female Trouble, Super Pussy Vixen, Go Faster! Kill! Kill!, Scarrie, The Musical!, The Birds and Freaks. Sweetback now focuses on more obscure and original work, most recently, Deep Fried and Suck My Nose, which featured three generations of family actors weaving their love through their pain while tap dancing and singing hymns; Bipolar Bitch, a mystical ride into psychosis and Dorothy Mae and the 1978 Holiday Rambler Ramblette, an outdoor extravaganza detailing Kelly’s roadtrip across the southwest during the Trump re-election season. Sweetback is beyond thrilled to be producing this festival of Barrie Cole’s plays, a playwright that Anchors was lucky enough to work with in Clumsy Sublime. Find them on Facebook.

ABOUT LABYRINTH ARTS AND PERFORMANCE COLLECTIVE

Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collective, a 501 c 3 not for profit, is organized for the purpose of building the creative community and developing wisdom through art.  The Collective believes that making and sharing meaning is key to being with artistic projects as a means of interactive exchange towards meaningful experience and encourages consciousness.  Risk taking requires compassion and holding space for fearless, free self-expression, the Collective believes that joy is the highest expression of being and inherent in all creative acts. And believes in artistic autonomy where the artistic project takes precedence over a single executive's vision.  

Recent past projects included the Labyrinth Film Fest 2024, variety shows 2023, music shows 2023, comedy showcases of John and Paul 2023 and play development in 2023. More information on their website or on Facebook. 

Sweetback Productions, in collaboration with Labyrinth Arts, is proud to announce Hamburgers and Disappointment: Plays about Enoughness, a festival of works by Barrie Cole playing in repertory, May 2 - 19 at 7:30 p.m., at Labyrinth Club, 3658 N. Pulaski Road. Performances of Schedule 1 includes I Love You Permanently and Fruit Tree Backpack runs on Thursdays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Schedule 2 that includes Capacity and Meaning is Tricky runs on Fridays and Sundays at 7:30 p.m. In addition, for those who may not be able to attend, a digital play, Elevator Tours, will be available for digital download for $10.  Press nights for Hamburgers and Disappointment: Plays about Enoughnessare Schedule 1, Saturday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m., and schedule 2, Sunday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are now on sale at SweetBackProductions.com.

Nostalgia-inducing unforgettable hits! Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce that the internationally acclaimed hit theater show, THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY will return to Chicago for a limited one-week engagement at the CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.), April 30 - May 5. Tickets will go on sale on Monday, March 4.

The immersive concert-style tribute show recreates the magic and authenticity of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel on stage and chronicles the amazing journey shared by the iconic, GRAMMY-award winning folk-rock duo. It tells the story from their humble beginnings as Tom & Jerry, to their incredible success as one of the best-selling music groups of the '60s, and to their dramatic split in 1970. THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY culminates with the pair's famous The Concert in Central Park reunion in 1981 which had more than half a million fans in attendance.

The show features a set list of nearly 30 songs and uses state-of-the-art video projection, photos, and original film footage. A full live band will perform all of the hits including "Mrs. Robinson," "Cecilia," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Homeward Bound," and many more complete with the unmistakably perfect harmonies that will transport audiences down memory lane.

With more than 100 million album sales since 1965, Simon & Garfunkel's unforgettable songs and poetic lyrics poignantly captured the times made them one of the most successful folk-rock duos of all time. Over the years, they won 10 GRAMMY Awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1977, the Brit Awards honored their "Bridge Over Troubled Water" album with Best International Album. In 2003, Simon & Garfunkel were awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the following year saw their "The Sound of Silence" awarded a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.

More information about THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY can be found at http://www.thesimonandgarfunkelstory.com.

ABOUT RUCKUS ENTERTAINMENT (Producers): 

Ruckus Entertainment, based in Los Angeles and formed in 2022, brings together veteran entertainment producers Alison Spiriti, Justin Sudds, Dean Elliott, and Ralph Schmidtke who are collectively responsible for producing over 100 touring productions seen by millions around the world. Their burgeoning production company brings audiences world-class concerts and live events and is focused on celebrating the history and music behind iconic, globally recognized musical artists. Current productions include THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY, RESPECT, The Life and Music of George Michael, and The British Invasion. For more information, visit www.thesimonandgarfunkelstory.com

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 1 at 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 2 at 7:00 p.m.

Friday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 4 at 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 5 at 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets for THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY will go on sale to the public on Monday, March 4 and range from $25.00 - $85.00 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 BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 24 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, Auditorium Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway  Playhouse at Water Tower Place.

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

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Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to continue its 22^nd season with the world premiere of POOR PEOPLE! The Parody Musical, an insane homage to many of the characters, songs and tropes of those very expensive Broadway and West End musicals about the less fortunate (Annie, Oliver!, Les Miz, Sweeney Todd... you get the gist). Written by ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith* with direction by Stephanie Shaw, music direction by Andrew Milliken and choreography by Christopher Kelley, POOR PEOPLE! will play May 2 – June 16, 2024 at The Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 1, 2024 at handbagproductions.org or buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/1116848. The press opening is Friday, May 10 at 8 pm.

The cast includes ensemble members David Cerda*, Sydney Genco*, Caitlin Jackson*, Elizabeth Lesinski* and Tyler Anthony Smith* with Matty Bettencourt, Brittney Brown, Taylor Dalton, Dakota Hughes, Patrick O'Keefe, Shane Roberie and Tommy Thurston. Understudies include Connar Brown, Miguel Long, Halli Morgan and Brandon Nelson.

It's 1979 in dangerous, smoky, glorious New York City. Our story's red-headed protagonist Li'l Orphan Arnie (Dakota Hughes) is fleeing from the guardianship of a sex-starved, meth-cooking madwoman (Sydney Genco*). Out on the streets, they befriend a slinky dancing cat (Matty Bettencourt), who leads them to a magical manhole, transporting them back in time to Paris, France in 1815. Trading in one poverty-plagued lifestyle for another, Arnie gives up the desire to find their parents and joins forces with a gang of pick-pocketing prostitutes, led by the mysterious Fagin (David Cerda*).

Life becomes even more dire when Mama Moneybags (Brittney Brown), a corrupt Republican from the future, takes it upon herself to put Fagin's troupe out of work. Thankfully, there's a bounty of colorful, destitute characters to help save the day, such as the tuberculosis-ridden Pantene (Caitlin Jackson*), a feral Beggar Woman (Elizabeth Lesinski*) and Nance, the classic hooker with a heart of gold (Tyler Anthony Smith*). Will the sun come out tomorrow? Do you hear the people sing? Will we be changing all of the lyrics to avoid being sued? Yes!

Comments playwright Tyler Anthony Smith, "When I was in the fourth grade, I was supposed to be in the ensemble of our district's high school production of Oliver! I got sick, missed too many rehearsals, and was forced to exit the show. So not only is this Handbag's response to Apple TV's Schmigadoon!, it's also my revenge."

The production team includes G. "Max" Maxin IV (Scenic, Lighting and Projection Design), Rachel M. Sypniewski (Costume Design), Miranda Coble (Sound Design), Maggie O'Brien (Props Design), Jabberwocky Marionettes (Puppet Design), Keith Ryan* (Wig Design), Syd Genco* (Make-up Design), Michael S. Miller* (Graphic Design), Rick Aguilar (Photography), Jenna Raithel (Stage Manager), Veronica Kostka* (Assistant Stage Manager) and David Cerda* (Executive Producer).

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Member

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: POOR PEOPLE! The Parody Musical – World Premiere!
Playwright: ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith*
Director: Stephanie Shaw

Music Director: Andrew Milliken

Choreographer: Christopher Kelley

Cast (in alphabetical order): David Cerda* (Fagin), Sydney Genco* (Miss A), Caitlin Jackson* (Pantene), Elizabeth Lesinski* (Beggar Woman) and Tyler Anthony Smith* (Nance) with Matty Bettencourt (Fosse Kitty), Brittney Brown (Mama Moneybags), Taylor Dalton (Epipen), Dakota Hughes (Li'l Orphan Arnie), Patrick O'Keefe (Twinky), Shane Roberie (The Groomer of the Flop'ra) and Tommy Thurston (Pretty Rich Boy). Understudies: Connar Brown, Miguel Long, Halli Morgan and Brandon Nelson.

Location: The Chopin Studio Theatre, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

Previews: Thursday, May 2 at 8 pm, Friday, May 3 at 8 pm, Saturday, May 4 at 8 pm, Sunday, May 5 at 4 pm and Thursday, May 9 at 8 pm
Opening/Press performance: Friday, May 10 at 8 pm
Regular run: Saturday, May 11 – Sunday, June 16, 2024
Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Sundays at 4 pm.

Industry Night: Wednesday, June 12 at 8 pm

Tickets: $25 previews, $42 general admission, $60 VIP/reserved seating. Group rates $36 for 10 or more. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 1, 2024 at handbagproductions.org or buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/1116848.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces today the full company of Judgment Day, a hilariously irreverent world premiere comedy starring Tony and Emmy Award winner Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) in his Chicago stage debut. Alexander leads a cast that features Daniel Breaker as Father Michael and Candy Buckley as the Angel, along with Maggie Bofill, Olivia Denise Dawson, Joe Dempsey, Michael Kostroff, Ellis Myers, and Meg Thalken. Judgment Day unites the powerhouse comedic talents of Alexander with director Moritz von Stuelpnagel, a Tony Award nominee and leading director of stage comedy, and playwright Rob Ulin, a Golden Globe and Peabody Award-winning television writer. Judgment Day debuts April 23–May 26, 2024, in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare.

Judgment Day tells the story of Sammy Campo, a staggeringly corrupt, morally bankrupt lawyer who's threatened with eternal damnation by a terrifying angel after a near-death experience. In a desperate attempt to redeem himself, Sammy forms an unlikely bond with a Catholic priest who is having his own crisis of faith. Filled with razor-sharp wit, this deliciously devious comedy rollicks through the timeless questions of Western philosophy—"morality," "faith," and "Are people any damn good?"

Jason Alexander, who stars as Sammy, is best known for his role as George Costanza on the long-running hit TV series Seinfeld, for which he was nominated for seven consecutive Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. Alexander began his career in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along. He won the 1989 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Jerome Robbins' Broadway and performed as Max Bialystock in the Los Angeles production of The Producers. Alexander made his Broadway directorial debut last year with The Cottage. His many film and television credits include Pretty Woman, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Daniel Breaker plays the conflicted Catholic priest Father Michael. Breaker was last seen in Chicago as Aaron Burr in Hamilton, a role he subsequently performed on Broadway. He also performed in the original Broadway cast of Shrek The Musical, originating the role of Donkey, and won an Obie Award for his leading performance in the Off-Broadway premiere of Passing Strange. Other theater credits include The Book of Mormon and The Performers on Broadway and the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park musical production of Love's Labor's Lost. Breaker's television credits include Billions and the Peacock series Girls5Eva.

Candy Buckley appears as the Angel. Buckley has performed on Broadway in Cabaret, After the Fall, Scandalous, and Thoroughly Modern Millie; her many additional stage credits include Lincoln Center Theater's Becky Nurse of Salem, the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of The Taming of the Shrew, American Repertory Theatre's Hedda Gabler, and The Old Globe's Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Buckley's film and television credits include The Kill Room, Rare Objects, and WeCrashed.

In the role of Sammy's wife Tracy is Maggie Bofill. Bofill's prolific acting credits include Nora in A Doll's House Part Two at Long Wharf Theater, Between Riverside and Crazy at Second Stage, and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot at the Public Theater. A writer in addition to her work as an actor, Bofill wrote and starred in Devil of Choice, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and is a member of LAByrinth Theater Company and Ensemble Studio Theatre. Michael Kostroff plays the Monsignor. Kostroff is best known as Maury Levy on HBO's The Wire, in addition to recurring roles on The Blacklist, Billions, The Good Wife, and Law and Order: SVU. He performed in The Nance on Broadway, the first national tour of The Producers, and as Thénardier in the touring company of Les Misérables. Ellis Myers plays Sammy and Tracy's young son Casper. Myers' credits include the film Perpetrator, in addition to voiceover and commercial work. 

Olivia Denise Dawson plays Della, Sammy's faithful, world-weary secretary. Dawson performed in The Comedy of Errors, The Book of Will, and The Tempest with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival's 2023 season and has also worked at Steppenwolf Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage, and many more. In the role of Jackson, a cranky and crooked insurance adjuster, is Joe Dempsey. Dempsey returns to Chicago Shakespeare after appearing in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Short Shakespeare! The Taming of the Shrew. Other credits include work with American Blues Theater, Lookingglass Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, and many more. Meg Thalken plays Edna, a widow whom Sammy must help in his quest to become a better person. Thalken's Chicago credits include work at Rivendell Theatre, Steep Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, and more. She was most recently seen in Becky Nurse of Salem at Trinity Repertory Theatre.

One of the most in-demand directors nationwide, Moritz von Stuelpnagel's credits include the Broadway productions Bernhardt/Hamlet, Present Laughter, Hand to God, for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Director, and most recently, I Need That starring Danny DeVito. Off-Broadway credits include Seared, The Thanksgiving Play, Teenage Dick, Important Hats of the 20th Century, and Verité. Rob Ulin, a Golden Globe and Peabody Award winner who got his start as a professional comedy writer with the legendary Norman Lear, has written and produced acclaimed sitcoms such as Ramy, Young Sheldon, Malcolm in the Middle, Roseanne, and Dinosaurs.

In addition to Ulin and von Stuelpnagel, the creative team includes Scenic Designer Beowulf Boritt, Costume Designer Tilly Grimes, Lighting Designer Amith Chandrashaker, Sound Designer Mikaal Sulaiman, Hair and Make-up Designer Tommy Kurzman, Fight and Intimacy Director Max Fabian, Chicago Casting Director Bob Mason, New York Casting Director Laura Stanczyk, C.S.A., Assistant Director Mallory Metoxen, Assistant Scenic Designer Alexis Distler, Assistant Costume Designer Caity Mulkearns, Assistant Lighting Designer Max Grano De Oro, Production Stage Manager Jinni Pike, and Assistant Stage Manager Mary Zanger.

The press opening for Judgment Day is scheduled for Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.

Judgment Day is the latest opportunity for Chicago Shakespeare audiences to be the first to experience thrilling new theatrical events. A celebrated incubator for new work development, CST has commissioned more than 30 world premieres that have gone on to productions on hundreds of stages around the world. Chicago Shakespeare's artistic team nurtures and empowers theatermakers in crafting new plays, musicals, and adaptations through readings, workshops, and direct support. CST most recently celebrated the sold-out press premiere of Illinoise, which next transfers to Park Avenue Armory beginning March 2. On March 14, Chicago Shakespeare's world premiere musical The Notebook opens at the Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway, joining CST's North American premiere of SIX, now playing at the Lena Horne Theatre. Also on tour across the US and Canada, SIX garnered the Tony Award for Best Original Score, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, and a Grammy Award nomination.

Accessible and enhanced performances for Judgment Day include:

• ASL-interpretation – Friday, May 10, 2024, 7:30
  All dialogue and lyrics are translated into American Sign Language by two certified interpreters.
• Open-captioning – Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 1:00 & 7:30
  A text display of the words and sounds heard during a play, synced live with the action onstage.
• Projected Spanish Translation – Thursday, May 16, 2024, 7:30
  A text display of the words and sounds heard during a play, synced live with the action onstage.
• Audio-description with optional touch tour –
  Sunday, May 19, 2024, 2:00
  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.

More information at www.chicagoshakes.com/judgment or social media at @chicagoshakes and @judgmentdaybroadway.

Judgment Day will be presented April 23–May 26, 2024, in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Single tickets starting at $45 are on sale now. Special discounts are available for audience members under the age of 35 and for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit www.chicagoshakes.com.

Broadway In Chicago is pleased to announce SOME LIKE IT HOT, the "Super-Sized, All-Out Song-And-Dance Spectacular!" (The New York Times), will be coming to Cadillac Palace Theatre for a limited two-week engagement, October 22 – November 3, 2024. Tickets will go on sale at a later date.

TICKET INFORMATION

Groups of 10+ are now on sale by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling (312) 977-1710. SOME LIKE IT HOT will be part of the next Broadway In Chicago subscription. Current subscribers can renew beginning on Monday, February 26, and the season will be available to new subscribers on Wednesday, March 20. Single tickets will be on sale at a later date. Ticket prices range from $30 - $125 with a select number of premium tickets available. For more details, visit BroadwayInChicago.com.

Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, SOME LIKE IT HOT is the "glorious, big, high-kicking" (Associated Press) story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime.

And what a trip it is! With its irresistible combination of heart and laughs, song and dance, SOME LIKE IT HOT won more theater awards than any show in its season, and was named Best Musical by the Drama Desk, The Drama League, and the Outer Critics Circle. No wonder Deadline calls it "a tap-dancing, razzle-dazzling embrace of everything you love about musical theater."

SOME LIKE IT HOT features a book by Matthew López (The Inheritance) & Amber Ruffin ("The Amber Ruffin Show"), music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (Hairspray) and direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon). The musical is based on the classic MGM film Some Like It Hot which has been named the "Funniest American Movie of All Time" by the American Film Institute.

The creative team also includes Scott Pask (Sets), Gregg Barnes (Costumes), Natasha Katz (Lights), Brian Ronan (Sound), Josh Marquette (Hair), Milagros Medina-Cerdeira (Makeup), Christian Borle & Joe Farrell (Additional Material), Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Music Supervisor), Kristy Norter (Music Coordinator), Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter (Orchestrations), Marc Shaiman (Vocal Arrangements), and Glen Kelly (Dance and Incidental Music Arrangements). The production team also includes Steve Bebout (Associate Director), John MacInnis (Associate Choreographer) and Juniper Street Productions (Production Management). 101 Productions, Ltd. serves as the general manager.

SOME LIKE IT HOT was produced on Broadway by The Shubert Organization and Neil Meron and co-produced by MGM on Stage, Roy Furman, Robert Greenblatt, James L. Nederlander, Kenny Leon, Hunter Arnold, John Gore Organization, The Dalgleish Library Company Group, Sheboygan Conservatory Partners, Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Bob Boyett, Cue to Cue Productions, Janet and Marvin Rosen, The Araca Group, Concord Theatricals, Marc Howard, Independent Presenters Network, Juanita Jordan, Jujamcyn Theaters, Henry R. Muñoz III, Ostar and Mariah Carey; D. S. Moynihan, Executive Producer.

The North American tour is booked by The Booking Group (www.thebookinggroup.com) with casting by The Telsey Office.

Concord Theatricals Recordings released SOME LIKE IT HOT (Original Broadway Cast Recording) on streaming and digital platforms worldwide in March 2023 with CD and vinyl now available.

# # #

https://somelikeithotmusical.com/

Follow SOME LIKE IT HOT on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation's premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to continue its 48th season with the world premiere of Purpose, an epic family drama by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad. Purpose will play March 14 – April 21, 2024 in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago Single tickets for starting at $20 are now on sale at steppenwolf.org or the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. The press opening is Sunday, March 24 at 6 pm.

Purpose features ensemble members Alana Arenas (David Makes Man, The Brother/Sister Plays), Glenn Davis (King James, Downstate) and Jon Michael Hill (Elementary, Pass Over) with Ayanna Bria Bakari (Last Night and the Night Before, The Chi), Harry Lennix (The Blacklist, The DC Universe) and Tamara Tunie (Law & Order: SVU, I Wanna Dance with Somebody).

For decades, the influential Jasper family has been a pillar of Black American Politics: civil rights leaders, pastors and congressmen. But like all families, there are cracks and secrets just under the surface. When the youngest son Nazareth returns home to Illinois with an uninvited friend in tow, the family is forced into a reckoning with itself, its faith and the legacies of Black radicalism. Spirited, hilarious and filled with intrigue, Purpose is an epic family drama – a long-awaited world premiere from one of the country's most celebrated voices.

The creative team includes Todd Rosenthal (Scenic Design), Dede Ayite (Costume Design), Amith Chandrashaker (Lighting Design), Rob Milburn & Michael Bodeen (Sound Design), Tyrone Phillips (Associate Director), Matthew Hawkins (Fight Choreographer), Kate DeVore (Vocal Coach), Jonathan L. Green (Dramaturg), Patrick Zakem (Creative Producer), Tom Pearl (Producing Director), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting), Laura D. Glenn (Production Stage Manager) and Jaclynn Joslin (Assistant Stage Manager). For full cast and creative team bios, click here.

Production Details:

Title: Purpose – World Premiere!
Playwright: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Director: Phylicia Rashad
Cast: Alana Arenas (Morgan Jasper), Glenn Davis (Solomon "Junior" Jasper Jr.) and Jon Michael Hill (Nazareth "Naz" Jasper) with Ayanna Bria Bakari (Aziza Houston), Harry Lennix (Solomon "Sonny" Jasper) and Tamara Tunie (Claudine Jasper).

Location: Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, March 14 – Saturday, March 23, 2024
Regular run: Tuesday, March 26 – Sunday, April 21, 2024
Curtain Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will not be a performance on Tuesday, March 19 or Tuesday, April 16; there will be a 2 pm performance on Wednesday, April 10; there will not be a 7:30 pm performance on Wednesday, April 10.

Tickets: Single tickets for Purpose ($20 - $102) are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf Flex Memberships are also currently on sale: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and RED Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30.

Accessible Performance Dates:

Audio-described and touch tour: Sunday, April 7 at 3 pm (1:30 pm touch tour, 3 pm curtain)
Open-captioned: Thursday, April 4 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, April 13 at 3 pm
ASL-interpreted: public performance: Friday, April 12 at 7:30 pm 

Artist Biographies:

Alana Arenas (Morgan Jasper) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2007 and created the role of Pecola Breedlove for the Steppenwolf for Young Adults production of The Bluest Eye, which also played at the New Victory Theater Off-Broadway. Recent Steppenwolf appearances include the Steppenwolf for Young Adults production of Monster, The Fundamentals, Marie Antoinette, Tribes, Belleville, Head of Passes, Good People, Three Sisters, The March, Man in Love, Middletown, The Hot L Baltimore, The Etiquette of Vigilance, The Brother/Sister Plays, The Tempest, The Crucible, Spare Change and The Sparrow Project. Other theatre credits include Disgraced (American Theater Company), The Arabian Nights (Lookingglass Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Kansas City Repertory Theatre), Eyes (eta Creative Arts), SOST (MPAACT), WVON (Black Ensemble Theater) and Hecuba (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). Television and film credits include David Makes Man, Canal Street, Crisis, Boss, The Beast, Kabuku Rides and Lioness of Lisabi. She is originally from Miami, Florida, where she began her training at the New World School of the Arts. Alana holds a BFA from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Ayanna Bria Bakari (Angela Houston) Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Last Night and the Night Before. Chicago: Relentless, Too Heavy for Your Pocket (TimeLine Theatre); Relentless, How to Catch Creation (Goodman Theatre); As You Like It (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); The Niceties – Black Theater Alliance Award, Stickfly (Writers Theatre). Regional: The Salvagers (Asst. Dir. at Yale Repertory Theatre); Clyde's (TheaterWorks Hartford); Sunflowered (Northern Sky Theater); The Rainmaker (Peninsula Players Theatre); The Orginalist (Indiana Repertory Theatre). Television: Wu-Tang: An American Saga (HULU), The CHI (Showtime), Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, Empire (FOX) and 61st Street (AMC). Film: Holiday Heist (BET). Education: BFA, The Theatre School at DePaul University. Ayanna Bria is a governing ensemble member of The Story Theatre and is represented by Stewart Talent. #BLACKLIVESMATTER.

Glenn Davis (Solomon "Junior" Jasper Jr.) is an actor, producer and Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company alongside Audrey Francis, where he has been an ensemble member since 2017. His Steppenwolf credits include: Downstate, The Christians, You Got Older, The Brother/Sister Plays, Head of Passes, King James (also Mark Taper Forum, Manhattan Theatre Club) and most recently Describe the Night. Broadway credits include: Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (also Kirk Douglas Theatre, Mark Taper Forum). Off-Broadway credits include: Transfers (MCC Theatre), Wig Out! (Vineyard Theatre) and Downstate (Playwrights Horizons). Other regional credits include: Moscow x6 (Williamstown Theatre Festival). International credits include: Downstate (National Theatre, UK), Edward II, The Winter's Tale and As You Like It (Stratford Festival), as well as Othello at The Shakespeare Company. Television credits include: Billions, 24, The Unit, Jericho and The Good Wife. Glenn is an artistic associate at the Young Vic in London and at the Vineyard Theatre in New York. He is also a partner in Cast Iron Entertainment, a collective of artists consisting of Sterling K. Brown, Brian Tyree Henry, Jon Michael Hill, Andre Holland and Tarell Alvin McCraney. Cast Iron is currently in residence at The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. In 2021, Glenn founded The Chatham Grove Company along with his producing partner Tarell Alvin McCraney, which is currently in an overall deal with Universal Content Productions (UCP).

Jon Michael Hill (Nazareth "Naz" Jasper) joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 2007. Steppenwolf: True West (also Galway International Arts Festival), Pass Over, Constellations, Head of Passes, The Hot L Baltimore, The Tempest, Kafka on the Shore, The Unmentionables. Broadway: Pass Over, Superior Donuts. Off-Broadway: The Refuge Plays (New York Theatre Workshop) Pass Over (Lincoln Center). Film: Pass Over, Widows, In The Radiant City, No Pay, Nudity. Television: Upcoming: A Man in Full (Netflix) Elementary (CBS), Detroit 1-8-7 (ABC), Eastbound and Down (HBO), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC) and Person of Interest (CBS).

Harry Lennix (Solomon "Sonny" Jasper) is a distinguished film, television, stage actor and producer. For the past 10 years, he starred as "Harold Cooper" in NBC's long-running, hit series The Blacklist. Lennix's breakout role was "Dresser" in 20th Century Studio's feature The Five Heartbeats, from director Robert Townsend. He has portrayed fan-favorite characters in blockbuster franchise films such as "General Swanwick/Martian Manhunter" in DC Entertainment's Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice and Zack Snyder's Justice League and as "Commander Lock" in Warner Brothers' The Matrix franchise films The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. He also starred as "Joe Adams" in the Oscar Award-winning feature Ray.

Lennix received widespread critical acclaim and a Golden Satellite Award as "Aaron" in Julie Taymor's Titus with Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange. Other select film credits over his decades-spanning career include Spike Lee's Chi-Raq and Clockers, Gina Prince-Bythewood's Love & Basketball, Stomp the Yard, Canal Street, Nothing Is Impossible, The Last Fall, A Beautiful Soul, State of Play, Resurrecting the Champ, Chrystal, Barbershop 2: Back In Business, Get on the Bus and Bob Roberts. He has also starred in and produced several films for his production company Exponent Media Group.

On television, Lennix garnered acclaim starring as political activist "Adam Clayton Powell, Jr." in Showtime's Keep the Faith Baby. For his performance, he won a Black Reel Award and earned Golden Satellite Award and NAACP Image Award Nominations. He also starred as "Jim Gardner," the Chief of Staff to POTUS, in the Golden Globe-nominated ABC series Commander in Chief, for which he received an NAACP Image Award Nomination. Other television credits include Showtime's Billions, HBO's Insecure and Little Britain, CW's Emily Owens, M.D., NBC's ER, Fox's Dollhouse and 24, among many others. He recently lent his voice to Matthew A. Cherry's animated MAX series Young Love, based on his Oscar-winning short film, Cartoon Network's Transformers: Robots in Disguise and can soon be heard in Zack Snyder's animated Netflix series Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas.

In theatre, Lennix made his Broadway debut in August Wilson's Tony nominated Radio Golf. He also starred in August Wilson's King Hedley II at the Mark Taper Forum. His portrayal of "Malcolm X" at the Goodman Theater earned him the first Ollie Award. He received Joseph Jefferson Citations for his starring roles in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Caught in the Act. He has directed and appeared in productions across the country including Northlight Theatre Company's Permanent Collection at LA's Greenway Arts Alliance, which was later remounted at The Kirk Douglas Theater. He directed the stage version of Robert Townsend's The Five Heartbeats, which received three NAACP Theater Award Nominations and The Glass Menagerie for Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company. In 2001, he was part of the first American company to be Invited to the Royal Shakespeare Company in the production of Cymbeline. This spring he returns to the Chicago stage in two new plays: Steppenwolf's Purpose and Congo Square's How I Learned What I Learned.

A proud Chicagoan raised on the city's South Side, Lennix is creating The Lillian Marcie Center and AAMPA (African American Museum of The Performing Arts), an arts complex he calls "the Black version of Lincoln Center." In 2019 he was named Ambassador for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and brings his message of early detection through PSA's and public speaking. He serves as Spokesman for NOBLE, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, and is an ambassador to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. He is on the Advisory Council of Northwestern University, his alma mater, and is a board member of Reading Rescue, a training program for educators teaching reading skills to at-risk elementary school children.

Tamara Tunie (Claudine Jasper) has a distinguished body of work that encompasses stage, television and film. Last year she was seen in the role of Cissy Houston, mother of the great American icon Whitney Houston, in I Wanna Dance with Somebody, reuniting her with Caveman's Valentine and Eve's Bayou director, Kasi Lemmons.

Ms. Tunie also triumphed on the London stage last season at the Old Vic in the critically-acclaimed production of Mike Bartlett's The 47th, in which she starred as Kamala Harris opposite Bertie Carvel's Donald Trump in a futuristic imagining of a presidential run-off between the two. Under the direction of Rupert Goold, Tunie received glowing notices: "Tamara Tunie is magnetizing in her performance," "the charismatic Tamara Tunie," "utterly convincing," "sturdy under fire."

One of the distinct hallmarks of Ms. Tunie's remarkable career is a long examination of American culture and its unique social and power dynamics. Beginning with such films as Oliver Stone's Wall Street with Michael Douglas, Harold Becker's City Hall with Al Pacino, Taylor Hackford's Devil's Advocate with Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron, to Robert Zemeckis' Flight opposite Denzel Washington, with whom she also starred on Broadway as "Calpurnia" in Julius Caesar, Ms. Tunie's attraction to content with depth and meaning is apparent. This thread continues with the Sundance TV series The Red Road, where Tamara starred as the challenged Native-American tribal chief "Marie Van Der Veen" opposite Jason Momoa; the BBC/Netflix international drama Black Earth Rising, which scrutinizes the West's complicity in the destabilization of Africa, portraying "Under-Secretary of State, Eunice Clayton;" and AMC's Dietland where she explored the underbelly of the American Beauty-Industrial Complex as "Julia," manager of the mysterious "beauty closet."

Ms. Tunie's award-winning stage works include the world premiere of American Son, a searing examination of race and class in which she originated the role of "Kendra Ellis-Connor;" her Obie-Award winning turn as "Marvelous" in Danai Gurira's Familiar, which grapples with identity, assimilation, tradition and the clashing of ideals of an African-Immigrant family; and most recently she starred in the world premiere of Bernarda's Daughters, where she portrayed matriarch "Florence Delva" with "oracular grandeur," another contemporary play that "mines" the effects of gentrification, police brutality and what it means to be "American," in a Haitian-American family in Brooklyn.

Ms. Tunie's directing credits include the premiere of Feelin' Good! starring Tony Award-winner LaChanze. She produced and directed the feature film See You in September, and Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (a Pandemic/ZOOM film short, featuring Patina Miller), directed and co-wrote the world premiere of Jazzland at The Harlem School of the Arts, and is directing a new musical in development, entitled Marian, about the life of the world-changing Opera Diva, Marian Anderson. Most recently, Ms. Tunie won "The Best Director Award" from the New York Theatre Festival, 2023, for helming the new musical, Dorothy Dandridge! The Musical.

Ms. Tunie first gained an international following in the role of medical examiner "Dr. Melinda Warner" with 23 seasons on Dick Wolf's legendary NBC series Law & Order: SVU. She was a series regular on the Netflix cult favorite Cowboy Bebop, and she appeared on the Apple-TV futuristic-drama See as "The Bank" opposite Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard.

Recurring guest-starring roles include such hit shows as Almost Family, Emergence, Better Call Saul, Blue Bloods, Billions, Alpha House, 24, Elementary, The Good Wife and Survivor's Remorse.

Ms. Tunie is a Founder of Black Theatre United. She is Chair Emerita of the Board of Directors of Figure Skating in Harlem, a non-profit organization that supports academic excellence and instills life skills to young girls in the Harlem community through the art and discipline of figure skating, to ensure they are champions "off the ice!" She serves on the Board of Directors at Harlem Stage/The Gatehouse, City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh, and is on the Advisory Board of Hearts of Gold, a not for profit that supports women and their children in New York City shelters, and helps them transition out of the system.

In 2005, Mayor Bloomberg awarded Ms. Tunie the "Made in New York Award" from the City of New York, for her support and commitment to Film, Television and Theater. Ms. Tunie holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Carnegie-Mellon University, and now serves on the Executive Board of Trustees.

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Playwright) is a Brooklyn-based playwright and producer and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. Recent theater credits include The Comeuppance (Signature Theatre), Girls (Yale Rep), Everybody (Signature Theatre), War (Yale Rep; Lincoln Center/LCT3), Gloria (Vineyard Theatre), Appropriate (Obie Award; Signature Theatre), An Octoroon (Obie Award; Soho Rep, Theatre for a New Audience) and Neighbors (The Public Theater). He was showrunner, executive producer and writer for HULU/FX's drama series, Kindred, based on Octavia E. Butler's groundbreaking novel. He currently teaches at Yale University and serves as Vice President of the Dramatists Guild council and on the boards of Soho Rep, Park Avenue Armory, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and the Dramatists Guild Foundation. Honors include a USA Artists fellowship, a Guggenheim fellowship, the MacArthur fellowship, the Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama and the inaugural Tennessee Williams Award.

Phylicia Rashad (Director) A two-time Tony Award winner (A Raisin in the Sun and Skeleton Crew), her directing credits include Stephen Adly Guirgis' Our Lady of 121st Street, The Roommate, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Joe Turner's Come and Gone (2014 NAACP Theatre Award for Best Director), Immediate Family, Fences, A Raisin in the Sun, and Four Little Girls . Producing credits include and Ossie Davis' revival of Purlie Victorious on Broadway and PBS film (KCET-TV) "The Old Settler." Ms. Rashad currently serves as Dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University.

Accessibility
As a commitment to make the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language Interpretation, Open Captioning and Audio Description are offered during the run of each STC production (see dates above). Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sponsor Information
Purpose was created with funds from the Prince Prize for Commissioning Original Work, which was awarded to Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 2015. It is also sponsored in part by Northern Trust, the Zell Family Foundation and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from Allstate Insurance Company, Amazon, ArentFox Schiff, Conagra Brands Foundation, Kirkland & Ellis, PNC, and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. This project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theater that is home to America's ensemble. The company began performing in the mid-1970s in the basement of a Highland Park, IL church—today Steppenwolf is the nation's premier ensemble theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Deeply rooted in its ensemble ethos, the company is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to all. Groundbreaking productions from Balm in Gilead and August: Osage County to Downstate and Pass Over—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony® Awards—have made the theatre legendary. Artistic programming includes a membership series; a Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; and LookOut, a multi-genre performance series. The nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education engages more than 20,000 participants annually in Chicagoland communities promoting compassion, encouraging curiosity and inspiring action. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. 2021 marked the opening of Steppenwolf's landmark Lefkofsky Arts & Education Center—deepening the company's commitment to Chicagoland teens and serving as a cultural nexus for Chicago. Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis are the Artistic Directors and E. Brooke Flanagan is Executive Director. Keating Crown is Chair of Steppenwolf's Board of Trustees.

Steppenwolf's Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Renowned British magician Andi Gladwin presents his first-ever solo production, Shuffled – a mesmerizing fusion of storytelling and technology – at The Rhapsody Theater Chicago, 1328 W. Morse Avenue, for two weekends only, March 14-17 and March 21-24, 2024.  Developed exclusively for The Rhapsody Theater, with Shuffled, Gladwin encourages audience members to bring their own decks of cards for his sleight-of-hand mastery – and the already intimate venue will be reconfigured to accommodate only 44 guests per show, providing a close-up view and a special interactive experience! And Gladwin welcomes any sort of card decks, “from Grandma’s bridge cards to the family Uno card game;” saying “you’ll never look at that familiar deck of cards in the same way again.”

“Shuffled truly illustrates what makes The Rhapsody Theater unique, as we provide internationally acclaimed headliner magicians, such as Andi, with the opportunity to create and perform brand new work for Chicago audiences. Our professional staging elements rival those of an off-Broadway theater venue, and we encourage our artists to stage full-length productions that simply couldn’t be accommodated in any other magic venue in the city,” said Ricardo Rosenkranz, MD, Rhapsody Theater LLC Managing Partner and resident performer, the Physician Magician.  

More about Andi Gladwin

British magician Andi Gladwin has dedicated his life to magic. “The best magic creates a story,” Gladwin says. “My aim is for everyone to walk away with a new experience that they will talk about for the rest of their lives.” And these stories have been told by guests at thousands of events over the past decade. In addition, Gladwin was a winner of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, where he managed to leave the magic duo completely dumbfounded. He has also appeared on British ITV’s Next Great Magician and is a season regular on CW channel’s Masters of Illusion. His magic has been called funny, upbeat, and downright deceiving.

In addition to Gladwin, upcoming headliner talent at The Rhapsody Theater includes award-winning Paris-based magician Alexandra Duvivier debuting her stunning new full-length  production, Extraordinaire! Thursday, February 22- Saturday, March 9, 2024;  Look Closer with Joshua Jay, a new show of magic and sleight-of-hand in which Jay turns the concept of misdirection on its head, April 4-28; and Ridiculous! with David Williamson, an evening of relentless laughter, mind-bending tricks, and a dash of anarchy, May 17-June 30. PLUS, returning as resident artists with weekly performances are Chicago’s own Physician Magician, Ricardo Rosenkranz, MD showcasing never-before-seen illusions that dramatically illustrate the connection between medicine and magic, while Ross Johnson returns with his jaw dropping mind reading show, A funny thing happened… tomorrow!  Visit www.rhapsodytheater.com for more information on all upcoming performances.

Performance schedule & tickets

Shuffled!  with Andi Gladwin will be performed at The Rhapsody Theater in ten performances only over two weekends March 14-17 and March 21-24, 2024: Thursday and Friday, March 14 &15 at 7:30pm; Saturday, March 16, at 2 & 7pm; Sunday, March 17, at 2pm; Thursday and Friday, March 21&22, at 7:30pm; Saturday, March 23, at 2, 7, and 9:30pm; and Sunday, March 24 at 2pm.  The run time is approximately 70 minutes with no intermission.

Tickets for Shuffled! with Andi Gladwin, starting at $45.00, are now on sale, online at https://rhapsodytheater.com/ or at The Rhapsody Theater box office.

About The Rhapsody Theater

Built in 1912 as the Morse Theater, this destination at 1328 W. Morse Avenue has long-been a source of arts and entertainment (formerly operating as the Co-Ed Theater and the Mayne Stage). Since its reopening in 2022 by Ricardo Rosenkranz, MD and Chicago’s own Physician Magician, The Rhapsody Theater has brought a fresh, magical experience to Rogers Park. This includes a newly developed, full-service restaurant and three bars throughout providing a welcoming spot for both patrons and community members to enjoy year-round. The multi-faceted theater is perfectly primed for its world-class performances. With state-of-the-art acoustics and versatile seating arrangements, the space allows for enhanced, intimate and large format experiences. In addition to magic arts talent, The Rhapsody Theater also presents cabaret and other live music concert programming.

The Rhapsody Theater is conveniently located steps away from the Morse Red line ‘El’ station in Rogers Park. Complimentary parking is available in an adjacent lot (subject to availability) in addition to plentiful nearby street parking.

For more information about The Rhapsody Theater or to purchase tickets, please visit https://rhapsodytheater.com/

Carole King made more than beautiful music. She wrote the soundtrack to a generation with indelible songs like “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Natural Woman,” “Late,” “I Feel the Earth Move,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” and “So Far Away.”

Not so far away is Paramount Theatre’s 2023-24 season finale, the Broadway smash hit Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Nominated for seven Tony Awards, with two wins, plus a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, Paramount will pull out all the stops in this season-finale jukebox musical celebration of one our most beloved music icons ever.

Performances are April 24-June 16. Opening Night is Friday, May 3 at 8 p.m. For tickets and information, visit paramountaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666.

Before she was the Carole King we know today, she was a young songwriter from Brooklyn trying to make a name for herself. Beautiful tells the inspiring true story of her remarkable rise to stardom with her husband and songwriting partner, Gerry Goffin, and how she went on to become one of the most successful singers, songwriters and musicians in contemporary music history. 

Paramount’s new production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical will be directed by Paramount Theatre Artistic Director Jim Corti and Johanna McKenzie Miller, in her Paramount directorial debut.

Returning to Paramount in the title role of Carole King is Tiffany Topol, a multi-talented singer, songwriter, producer and performer based in New York and Chicago. Paramount audiences will recall Topol for her Jeff-nominated performance in 2018 as Girl in Once. Topol’s other credits include the first National Tours of Xanadu and Once, Sweet Charity at Writers’ Theatre, Shining Lives at Northlight Theatre and Eastland at Lookingglass. 

The principal cast also features C.J. Blaine Eldred as Gerry Goffin, Rebecca Hurd as Cynthia Weil, Christopher Kale Jones as Barry Mann, Ian Paul Custer as Donny Kirshner and Laura T. Fisher as Genie Klein. The ensemble (at press time) includes Averis Anderson, Marta Bady, Corey Barlow, Corey Barrow, Lydia Burke, Ariana Burks, Michaela Dukes, Jared David Michael Grant, Conor Jordan, Clare Kennedy, Kevin Kuska, Donna Louden, Yasir Muhammad, Luke Nowakowski, Colleen Perry, Calvin Scott Roberts, Abby C. Smith, Matt Thinnes and Shelbi Voss.

Per usual, Paramount has assembled a stellar design and production team to create a night of Beautiful theater including Kenny Ingram, choreographer; Kory Danielson, music director and conductor; Jeffrey D. Kmiec, scenic designer; Theresa Ham, costume designer; Greg Hofmann, lighting designer; Adam Rosenthal, sound designer; Katie Cordts, wig, hair and makeup designer; Jesse Gaffney, properties designer; Ethan Deppe, electronic music designer; Erin Barnett, assistant choreographer; Celia Villacres, associate music director and associate conductor; Jaci Entwisle, stage manager; and Madeline M. Scott and Lanita VanderSchaaf, assistant stage managers.

Times, Dates and Ticket Information

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical starts previews Wednesday, April 24 at 7 p.m. Opening Night is Friday, May 3 at 8 p.m. Performances run through June 16: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Run time is approximately 2 hours 30 minutes with intermission.

Paramount Theatre is located at 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora. For tickets and information, visit paramountaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. For group discounts, contact Melissa Striedl, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (630) 723-2461. 

For the latest updates, follow @paramountaurora on Facebook and Instagram, and Paramount Theatre on LinkedIn. 

Pay What You Can Performances

Paramount will offer two Pay What You Can performances of Beautiful: Thursday, April 25 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, April 27 at 3 p.m. Both days, starting at 10 a.m., visit the Paramount box office in-person to request tickets. Limit four per person. Subject to availability. See paramountaurora.com/pay-what-you-can for details. 

Access Services

Paramount offers assistive listening devices free of charge at all performances. Check in at the coat room before the show to borrow a listening device.

Paramount will offer American Sign Language interpretation on Friday, June 7 at 8 p.m. and open captioning on Wednesday, June 12 at 1:30 p.m.

If you require wheelchair or special seating or other assistance, please contact the box office at (630) 896-6666 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in advance.

Behind the scenes of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Pop music would be very different without the contributions of Carole King, who at age 17 wrote her first #1 song with Gerry Goffin, “Will You Love me Tomorrow,” for the Shirelles. The dozens of hits Goffin and King wrote during this period became legendary, but it was 1971’s “Tapestry” that took King to the pinnacle, speaking to her contemporaries and providing a spiritual background to the decade. More than 400 of her compositions have been recorded by over 1,000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles and six Grammys. She was recognized in 2015 by the Kennedy Center Honors for her unparalleled influence on American culture. King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical features a book by Douglas McGrath that tells the inspiring true story of King’s early life and career, using songs that she wrote, often together with Gerry Goffin, and other contemporary songs by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Phil Spector and others. Orchestrations, vocal and incidental music arrangements are by Steve Sidwall. 

The original production of Beautiful received its world premiere in October 2013 at the Curran Theatre, San Francisco, with direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince, starring Chicago’s own Jessie Mueller. It debuted on Broadway in January 2014 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, earning seven Tony nominations and two wins, including a Tony for Mueller for best leading actress in a musical for her portrayal of Carole King. 

About Paramount’s upcoming production, Artistic Director Jim Corti said, “Collaborating with co-director Johanna McKenzie Miller, choreographer Kenny Ingram, and music director Kory Danielson, we’re set up for singer/songwriter, and music producer herself, Tiffany Topol, to star and lead us into a nuanced reveal of the great Carole King."

"From her little known personal story and trailblazing professional career, from her start as a 17-year-old songwriter for hire to her triumphant Carnegie Hall concert in 1971, the year she was the first woman ever to win four Grammy Awards for her record breaking album 'Tapestry,' which remained the bestseller by a female artist for a quarter century. Take a seat and ride with us for her rise to self realization as a pop music powerhouse while continuing her work and desire toward life as a wife and mother. As she honors and owns her fearless and true gift, witness the start of how Carole King becomes one of the most celebrated and iconic singer/songwriters of all time!”

Paramount Artistic Director Jim Corti will co-direct Paramount’s production of Beautiful. Corti inaugurated Paramount’s Broadway Series with President and CEO Tim Rater in fall 2011 with the critically acclaimed My Fair Lady and a subscriber base of 12,500 patrons. In 2015, Paramount’s Broadway Series became Jeff Award eligible. Since then, Paramount has garnered 115 nominations with 29 wins, including three consecutive Best Large Musical awards for Les Misérables, West Side Story and Sweeney Todd. Corti helmed all three, and won Best Director for two of them, Les Misérables and Sweeney Todd. Corti also directed Paramount’s Fiddler on the Roof, Miss Saigon, RENT, The Who’s Tommy, Oklahoma!, Mamma Mia!, Million Dollar Quartet, Once, The Producers, Newsies, Groundhog Day: The Musical, Next to Normal, and co-directed Into the Woods and Fun Home. A Broadway veteran, he appeared in the original New York casts of Ragtime and Candide, joined the long running A Chorus Line, and toured nationally in Urinetown, Cabaret and Bob Fosse’s Dancin’. Other highlights include being the only director to have two productions in the same year in the Chicago Tribune’s 2009 list of 10 Best Shows for Drury Lane’s Cabaret and Writers Theatre’s Oh, Coward! He remains the sole honoree to have won Jeff Awards as an actor (Marriott’s Grand Hotel), choreographer (Drury Lane’s Singin’ in the Rain) and director (Paramount’s Sweeney Todd and Les Misérables, Drury Lane’s Sweet Charity and Northlight’s Blues in the Night). In addition to Beautiful, Corti is also directing Paramount’s BOLD Series spring 2024 revival of A Streetcar Named Desire with Elizabeth Swanson, March 13-April 21 at Paramount’s Copley Theatre.

Johanna McKenzie Miller (co-director) is making her Paramount debut with Beautiful. Most recently she directed Shrek at Music Theatre Works. Other directing credits include Steel Magnolias (Jeff Award, Best Ensemble Play-Large), The 39 Steps and Shrek (TYA) at Drury Lane Theatre; Kiss Me, Kate, The Wizard of Oz (TYA), Junie B. Jones (TYA) and Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play! (TYA) at Marriott Theatre; A Peculiar Inheritance and Romance en Route, the 91st and 92nd Annual Waa-Mu shows at Northwestern University; How to Lobster with Steppenwolf LookOut series, and Shrew’d! with First Folio Theatre. McKenzie Miller is the co-founder and artistic director of Lombard Children’s Theater Workshop.