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Friday, 15 March 2024 12:07

Red Theater presents HAMLET

Red Theater is thrilled to present its second show of the 23/24 season: Shakespeare’s HAMLET, directed by Jeff nominated director Wyatt Kent, running April 26 - May 19, 2024 at The Edge Off Broadway in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. The production features Ashley Fox as Hamlet, Robert Koon as Claudius, Kelly Dupree Levander as Gertrude, Julia Rowley as Ophelia, Zach Bloomfield as Polonius, Reggie Hemphill as Horatio, and Ian Maryfield as Laertes, with an ensemble featuring Harrison Lampert, Mary Townsend Cahoon, Josh Razavi, Tatiana Pavela, and Tulsi McDaniels. Understudies include Tess Galbiati, Craig Duff, Aimee Kleiman, RJ Cecott, Matty Schnitker, and Stephanie Neuerburg. Tickets sales launch in March - sign up for Red Theater’s newsletter at www.redtheater.org for early bird access. 

Comments Artistic Director Clare Brennan: “Our 23/24 production of Hamlet places Shakespeare’s classic tragedy in an intimate, in-the-round setting. We’re thrilled to have textual powerhouse Ashley Fox as our lead, around whom a knockout cast brings this story straight into the current day. Our design team features some of the finest conceptual talent on display in Chicago storefront theater, including Jeff Award nominees Rose Johnson and Sebby Woldt. This spring, we can’t wait to invite audiences to get up close and personal with your ghosts.” 

The production team includes Tessa Huber (Stage Manager), Sean William Kelly (Assistant Director), Junipero Cruz (Assistant Stage Manager), Rose Johnson (Scenic Design), Jamie Macpherson (Fight & Intimacy Design), Madeline Felauer (Costume Design), Derryll Lyall (Lighting Design), Sebby Woldt (Sound Design), Andy Cahoon (Technical Direction + Props Design), Meredith Ernst (Text Coach), Becca Holloway (Casting Director), and Clare Brennan (Producer). 

PRODUCTION DETAILS

Title: Hamlet

Playwright: William Shakespeare

Director: Wyatt Kent

Cast: Ashley Fox (Hamlet), Robert Koon (Claudius), Kelly Dupree Levander (Gertrude), Julia Rowley (Ophelia), Zach Bloomfield (Polonius), Reggie Hemphill (Horatio), Ian Maryfield (Laertes), Harrison Lampert (Rosencrantz et al.), Mary Townsend Cahoon (Guildenstern et al.), Josh Razavi (Gravedigger et al.), Tatiana Pavela (1st Player et al.), and Tulsi McDaniels (Osric et al.) 

Understudies: Tess Galbiati (U/s Hamlet / Guildenstern), Craig Duff (U/s Claudius / Polonius), Aimee Kleiman (U/s Gertrude et al.), RJ Cecott (U/s Laertes), Matty Schnitker (U/s Horatio et al.), and Stephanie Neuerburg (U/s Rosencrantz et al.).

Production Team: Tessa Huber (Stage Manager), Sean William Kelly (Assistant Director), Junipero Cruz (Assistant Stage Manager), Rose Johnson (Scenic Design), Jamie Macpherson (Fight & Intimacy Design), Madeline Felauer (Costume Design), Derryll Lyall (Lighting Design), Sebby Woldt (Sound Design), Andy Cahoon (Technical Direction + Props Design), Meredith Ernst (Text Coach), Becca Holloway (Casting Director), and Clare Brennan (Producer). 

Location: The Edge Off Broadway, 1133 W. Catalpa Ave, Chicago

Previews: Wed 4/24 & Thurs 4/25 @ 7:30P

Opening night: Friday, April 26th @ 7:30P

Run dates: Friday, April 26 - Sunday, May 19, 2024

Curtain times: Thursdays – Saturdays @ 7:30P, Sundays @ 3P; Mondays @ 7:30P, Wednesday 5/15 @ 7:30P

Tickets: Tickets sales launch in March - sign up for Red Theater's newsletter at www.redtheater.org for early bird access.

City Lit Theater has announced its programming for the 2024-25 season, the company’s 44th. The season is the first to be programmed under the leadership of Brian Pastor (they/them), who will assume the position of Executive Artistic Director on July 1, returning to the company they served for over ten years in administrative roles, including Managing Director. Most recently, they were a Resident Director of the company, and directed City Lit’s acclaimed productions of THIRTEEN DAYS, THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, and THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. Pastor’s appointment was announced in June 2023, following the announcement that longtime Producer and Artistic Director and Terry McCabe would retire at the end of the 2023-24 season.

Pastor’s inaugural season as Executive Artistic Director will be true to the company’s tradition of focusing on new work, new-to-Chicago plays, literary adaptations, and stage classics.

The season will open with THE HOUSE OF IDEAS, the third installment of Mark Pracht’s “Four Color Trilogy” of plays about significant moments in the development of comic books as an art form and an industry. This third installment recounts Marvel Comics’ emergence as an industry powerhouse, as writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby struggle with sharing the credit for this newfound success. McCabe will return to City Lit to direct this final installment of the trilogy which began under his leadership in 2022 with his direction of Pracht’s THE MARK OF KANE. THE HOUSE OF IDEAS will open on Sunday, September 1 at 3 pm following previews from August 23, and play through October 6.

August Wilson’s SEVEN GUITARS will follow, directed by Manny Buckley. This will be the first Chicago storefront production of this powerful drama from Wilson’s ten-play “Pittsburgh Cycle.” Set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in 1948, it follows six friends mourning the death of their friend Floyd "Schoolboy" Barton, a rising blues star trapped by his circumstances and cut down in his prime. SEVEN GUITARS will open on Sunday, October 27 at 3 pm, following previews from October 18 and play through December 1.

Pastor will direct the final two plays of the season, which will continue in January 2025 with the Chicago premiere of GLASSHEART by Reina Hardy. A Chicago-based self-described “playwright and fabulist,” her work has been produced across the United States, and in the UK, Australia and Greece. GLASSHEART, a modern-day reimagining of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, was praised by the WASHINGTON POST for its “off-key insights” and its “funky, poetic” nature. THE WASHINGTONIAN called it “enchanting, funny, and thought-provoking.” This play, set in Chicago and written by a Chicago playwright, is finally getting its Chicago premiere at City Lit. GLASSHEART will open on January 19, 2025, at 3 pm following previews from January 10, and run through February 23, 2025.

Concluding the season will be a world premiere adaptation of R.U.R. (ROSSUM'S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS) a 1920 science-fiction play by the Czech writer Karel Čapek that introduced the word "robot" to the English language. This “freely adapted” version of R.U.R. is by the playwright and director Bo List, who penned the adaptation of FRANKENSTEIN that City Lit produced in 2012. R.U.R. (ROSSUM'S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS) will open on Sunday, May 11, 2025, following previews from May 2 and play through June 15, 2025.

Of the season, Pastor says, "I'm very excited to continue City Lit's tradition of blending new works with fresh takes on classics. In many ways, this is a season about dreams (and how sometimes dreams can become nightmares). But it's also a season about discovering the beauty and the magic in the everyday. We hope these stories will awaken your senses.”

City Lit Season 44 subscriptions are available at $99.00, good for all performances, or $77.00 for preview performances. Subscriptions may be ordered online at www.citylit.org or purchased over the phone by calling 773-293-3682. Single tickets for Season 44 are priced at $30 for previews and $35 for regular performances and will be on sale soon. Senior prices are $25 for previews and $30 for regular performances. Students and military are $12.00 for all performances.

LISTING INFORMATION

 

CITY LIT THEATER'S 2023-2024 SEASON:

THE HOUSE OF IDEAS

WORLD PREMIERE

by Mark Pracht

Directed by Terry McCabe

August 23 – October 6, 2024

Previews: August 23 – 31, 2024

Press Opening: Sunday, September 1 at 3 pm

Regular Run: September 6 – October 6, 2024

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm

Mondays, September 23 and 30, 2024 at 7:30 pm

Tickets $30 for previews and $35 for regular performances. Senior prices are $25 previews and $30 regular performances. Students and military are $12.00 for all performances.

Tickets available online at www.citylit.org or by phone at 773-293-3682.

All performances at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, on the second floor (accessible via elevator) of the Edgewater Presbyterian Church.

The final installment of the “Four-Color Trilogy” about three key moments in the history of comic books, THE HOUSE OF IDEAS examines the rise of Marvel and the fraught relationship between the Lennon and McCartney of comic books, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Today Marvel Entertainment stands near the center of our popular culture.  It was in the 1960s that Marvel Comics began creating dozens of memorable characters and built a single cohesive world for them to inhabit. In comic books, this was revolutionary.  But Stan Lee and Jack Kirby,  the two men at the center of this renaissance, struggle with the idea of credit now that they’ve made it something worth struggling over.  

SEVEN GUITARS

30TH ANNIVERSARY PRODUCTION

by August Wilson

Directed by Manny Buckley

October 18 – December 1, 2024

Previews October 18 - 26

Press Opening Sunday, October 27 at 3 pm

Regular run November 1 – December 1, 2024

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm

Mondays, November 18 and 25, 2024 at 7:30 pm

Tickets $30 for previews and $35 for regular performances. Senior prices are $25 previews and $30 regular performances. Students and military are $12.00 for all performances.

Tickets available online at www.citylit.org or by phone at 773-293-3682.

All performances at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, on the second floor (accessible via elevator) of the Edgewater Presbyterian Church.

The Chicago storefront premiere of this searing August Wilson drama about six friends in the Hill District of Pittsburgh in 1948 mourning the death of their friend Floyd "Schoolboy" Barton, a rising blues star trapped by his circumstances and cut down in his prime. One of Wilson’s “Pittsburgh Cycle” of ten plays depicting the African American experience in each of the 20th Century’s decades.

GLASSHEART

CHICAGO PREMIERE

by Reina Hardy

Directed by Artistic Director Brian Pastor

January 10 – February 23, 2025

Previews January 10 – 18, 2025

Press opening Sunday, January 19 at 3 pm

Regular run January, January 24 – February 23, 2025

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm

Mondays, February 10 and 17, 2025 at 7:30 pm

Tickets $30 for previews and $35 for regular performances. Senior prices are $25 previews and $30 regular performances. Students and military are $12.00 for all performances.

Tickets available online at www.citylit.org or by phone at 773-293-3682.

All performances at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, on the second floor (accessible via elevator) of the Edgewater Presbyterian Church.

Chicago premiere of a new play by Chicago-based playwright Reina Hardy. A modern-day reimagining of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. The Beast has moved into a low-rent district in Chicago with his last loyal friend, a lamp named Only. They meet a neighborly witch and a young woman who might, somehow, still break the curse.

R.U.R. (ROSSUM'S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS)

WORLD PREMIERE ADAPTATION

by Bo List

Freely adapted from the play by Karel Capek

Directed by Artistic Director Brian Pastor

May 2 – June 15, 2025

Previews May 2 – 10, 2025

Press opening Sunday, May 11 at 3 pm

Regular run May 16 – June 15, 2025

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm

Mondays, June 2 and 9, 2025 at 7:30 pm

Tickets $30 for previews and $35 for regular performances. Senior prices are $25 previews and $30 regular performances. Students and military are $12.00 for all performances.

Tickets available online at www.citylit.org or by phone at 773-293-3682.

All performances at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, on the second floor (accessible via elevator) of the Edgewater Presbyterian Church.

In 1920, Karel Čapek’s early science fiction classic R.U.R. coined the term “robot” and looked ahead to the wonders and dangers of artificial intelligence decades before it was cool to worry about such things. “Rossum’s Universal Robots” (“R.U.R.” for short) is a mysterious island factory that manufactures artificial human beings, run by the eccentric scientist Harry Rossum. When Helena Glory arrives to advocate for the rights of these machines, a series of events is set into motion that sees Harry and Helena married against the backdrop of a global robot uprising.

PLAYWRIGHT BIOS

 

Mark Pracht (Playwright, THE HOUSE OF IDEAS) was raised near Colorado Springs, Colorado, and graduated from the University of Nebraska, Kearney. He has proudly worked in the Chicago theater community for over 20 years, mainly as an actor. At City Lit he has appeared as Milt Shanks in THE COPPERHEAD and The Creature in FRANKENSTEIN, among others. Elsewhere, he was Lanfield in BLIZZARD ’67 at 16th Street Theatre (2017 Equity Jeff Nomination for Best Ensemble), and “Mountain” McClintock in REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT at The Artistic Home, for which he received a 2019 Non-Equity Jeff Award for Performance in a Principal Role. Most recently, You may have seen his Jeff Award nominated performance last year as John Proctor in THE CRUCIBLE at Invictus Theatre. He served as the Artistic Director of Brown Couch Theatre Company, where he directed Diana Son’s STOP KISS. His short plays have been produced by Chicago companies like Strangeloop Theatre, and his full length play NEON was presented by the Shelterbelt Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska. THE HOUSE OF IDEAS completes (for now) “The Four-Color Trilogy” a project over fifteen years in development.

Reina Hardy (Playwright, GLASSHEART). Reina Hardy's plays, which usually contain magic and sometimes contain science, have been produced across the US, the UK, Australia and Greece. Her prose has appeared in Electric Literature, Fantasy Magazine, Startrek.com, and more, and her first movie as a screenwriter, PAGING MR. DARCY, aired on the Hallmark Channel in February 2024. She is currently under contract with Simon and Schuster for a nonfiction book entitled SH*TTY BOYFRIENDS OF WESTERN LITERATURE. Hardy’s honors include a Michener Fellowship, Kilroy’s List, National New Play Network New Play Showcase, Source Festival, Kennedy Center MFA Playwrights Workshop, Interact 20/20 Commission, Kennedy Center ACTF TYA PRIZE. Her plays are currently licensed through Broadway Play Publishing and TRW Plays.

She received her Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting and Screenwriting from the University of Texas at Austin. Hardy is represented by the Gurman Agency for theatre, Aevitas for nonfiction, and Arlook Management and Verve for television and film.

August Wilson (Playwright, SEVEN GUITARS) was a renowned American playwright whose works are celebrated for their exploration of the African American experience throughout the 20th Century. Born Frederick August Kittel Jr. on April 27, 1945, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wilson grew up in the Hill District, a predominantly Black neighborhood that would later serve as the backdrop for nine of the ten plays referred to as the "Pittsburgh Cycle" or the "Century Cycle," each set in a different decade of the 20th century and exploring various aspects of the African American experience.

Wilson's first major play, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, premiered at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference in 1978 and was the only play of the “Pittsburgh Cycle” not to be set in Pittsburgh. Some of Wilson's most notable works include FENCES (1985), which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play, and THE PIANO LESSON (1987), which also received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His plays are celebrated for their richly drawn characters, poetic language, and profound exploration of themes such as family, identity, and the legacy of slavery.

Bo List (Adapter, R.U.R. (ROSSUM'S UNIVERSAL ROBOTS) ) is thrilled to return to City Lit, 13 years after their "electrifying" production of his FRANKENSTEIN, adapted from Mary Shelley’s novel. Other plays include the WWII-era comedy LADIES OF LIBERTY, his other spooky adaptation - THE LAST DRACULA, his one-acts CANARY YELLOW (winner of the Father Jeff Hamblin Playwriting Award at Abingdon Theatre in NYC) and I LEFT MY HEART IN KISSIMMEE, and his historical dramas for the Kentucky Humanities Council based on the lives of Abraham Lincoln, Henry Clay, Daniel Boone, and Nancy Green. He is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

DIRECTOR BIOS

 

Terry McCabe (Director, THE HOUSE OF IDEAS) Terry McCabe has been City Lit’s artistic director since February 2005 and its producer since July 2016 and is retiring from these positions at the end of the 2023-24 season. He has directed plays professionally in Chicago since 1981. He was artistic director of Stormfield Theatre for four years, resident director at Wisdom Bridge Theatre for five years, and worked at Body Politic Theatre three separate times in three different capacities over a span of 14 years. His City Lit adaptations of HOLMES AND WATSON, GIDGET (co-adapted with Marissa McKown), THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, SCOUNDREL TIME, and OPUS 1861 (co-adapted with Elizabeth Margolius) were Jeff-nominated. He won two Jeff Citations for directing at Stormfield and has been thrice nominated for the Jeff Award for Best Director, for shows at Court Theatre, Wisdom Bridge, and Victory Gardens. He has directed at many Chicago theatres either long-gone or still with us, as well as off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre and at Vienna’s English Theatre. His book MIS-DIRECTING THE PLAY has been denounced at length in American Theatre magazine and from the podium at the national convention of The Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas but has been used in directing courses on three continents and is now available in paperback and Kindle e-book.

Manny Buckley (he/him, director of SEVEN GUITARS) is a Chicago based director, actor and writer. Manny last directed DRIVING MISS DAISY at Jedlicka Performing Arts Center, where he also directed THE BAD SEED. Other directing credits include KINGDOM, an audio play (Broken Nose Theatre); UHURU, CANE, ORIGIN STORY, MOTHER OF PEARL and THE REAPERS ON WOODBROOK AVENUE (BLUE INK FESTIVAL), MULTIPLE SHORT PLAYS IN PLAYGROUND-CHICAGO'S MONDAY NIGHT PLAYGROUND, RIPPED: THE LIVING NEWSPAPER, #ENOUGH (PLAYS TO END GUN VIOLENCE) and THE ONE MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL. As an actor, he appeared in City Lit's world premiere COMRADES MINE; his other acting credits include work with Chicago Shakespeare, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Court, Victory Gardens, Chicago Dramatists, Next Theater, House Theatre, Shattered Globe Theater, Cincinnati Children's Theatre and Studio Theatre. Manny has numerous credits with American Blues Theater, where he is an ensemble member and turned in his critically acclaimed, award-winning solo performance in LOOKING OVER THE PRESIDENT’S SHOULDER. Film and TV credits: PROVEN INNOCENT, CHICAGO FIRE, CHICAGO PD, and commercials and industrial films for the US Navy, Northwestern University and THE ONION. He has received nominations for the Joseph Jefferson Award, the Helen Hayes Award and the 3Arts Award; he is the recipient of both a Black Theater Alliance Award and Black Excellence Award. Mr Buckley was last seen in THE RECLAMATION OF MADISON HEMINGS at American Blues Theater.

Brian Pastor (they/them, Director, GLASSHEART, R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)) is a trans/non-binary producer, director, actor, and playwright in Chicago and the incoming Executive Artistic Director of City Lit Theater. Brian previously spent ten and a half years on staff at City Lit, including nine as Managing Director. Since 2019, Brian has served as City Lit’s Resident Director, where they directed THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, George Bernard Shaw’s ARMS AND THE MAN, Archibald MacLeish’s J.B., and their own acclaimed adaptation of Robert Kennedy’s THIRTEEN DAYS. Brian is a founder and Emeritus Artistic Director of Chicago’s Promethean Theatre Ensemble, where they directed THE LION IN WINTER, THE WINTER’S TALE, and GROSS INDECENCY: THE THREE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE (all Broadway World Award Nominated- Best Director), as well as HENRY V and THE DARK SIDE OF THE BARD. Brian also directed the world premiere of THE BLACK KNIGHT by Angeli Primlani, the inaugural show for Lifeboat Productions. As an actor, Brian has worked with Strawdog, Raven, WildClaw, Promethean, Accomplice, and City Lit, among others. Brian is the former Executive Director of Sideshow Theatre and the former Executive Director of Raven Theatre. They also served as a board and company member of The Mime Company and as a founding company member of Chicago dell’Arte. A Pittsburgh native, Brian has called Chicago home since their graduation from Northwestern University in 2003.

ABOUT CITY LIT THEATER COMPANY:

City Lit is the eighth oldest theatre company in Chicago, behind only Goodman, Court, Northlight, Oak Park Festival, Black Ensemble Theatre, Steppenwolf, and Pegasus theatres.  It was founded in 1979 with $210 pooled by Arnold Aprill, David Dillon, and Lorell Wyatt.  For its current season, its 43rd , it operates with a budget slightly over $200,000.  It was the first theatre in the nation devoted to stage adaptations of literary material.  There were so few theatres in Chicago at the time of its founding that at City Lit’s launch event, the founders were able to read a congratulatory letter they had received from Tennessee Williams.

For four decades and counting, City Lit has explored fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoirs, songs, essays and drama in performance. A theatre that specializes in literary work communicates a commitment to certain civilizing influences—tradition imaginatively explored, a life of the mind, trust in an audience’s intelligence—that not every cultural outlet shares.

City Lit is located in the historic Edgewater Presbyterian Church building at 1020 West Bryn Mawr Avenue. Its work is supported in part by the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events CityArts program.  An Illinois not-for-profit corporation and a 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt organization, City Lit keeps ticket prices below the actual cost of producing plays and depends on the support of those who share its belief in the beauty and power of the spoken written word.

Trap Door Theatre is thrilled to close its 30th anniversary season by celebrating the past with a reimagining of our hit production of Nana. Adapted for the stage from Emile Zola's scandalous novel by Olwen Wymark, Nana will be directed by Resident Choreographer Miguel Long, and Nicole Wiesner, who originated the role of Nana in 2002. Nana will play April 11 – May 18, 2024 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W Cortland St. in Chicago. Tickets are now on sale at trapdoortheatre.com or by calling (773)-384-0494. The press opening is on opening night, Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 8:00 pm.

Olwen Wymark's splendid dramatization of Zola's Nana is a story of sexual and financial greed in nineteenth-century Parisian society, depicting the rise and tragic downfall of a young courtesan.

Managing Director Nicole Wiesner and Resident Choreographer Miguel Long team up again to direct this reimagination, first produced at Trap Door in 2002.


The production team includes Kayci Johnston (Stage Manager), Merje Veski (Scenic Designer), Richard Norwood (Lighting Designer), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Designer), Danny Rockett (Music Composer/Sound Designer), Zsófia Ötvös (Make Up Designer), Ember Sappington (Dramaturg), Michal Janicki (Graphic Designer), and Genevieve Corkery, Caleb Lee Jenkins, Isabella Moran, and Jacqui Touchet (Understudies).

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

 

Title: Nana

Author: Emile Zola

Adaptor: Olwen Wymark

Directors: Miguel Long and Nicole Wieser

Cast (in alphabetical order): Maryam Abdi (Nana), Raúl Arámbula (Fanton), Dan Cobbler (Fauchery), Beck Damron (Georges), Eddy Karch (Muffat), Emily Lotspeich (Zoe), David Lovejoy (Bordenave), Emily Nichelson (Satin), Tia Pinson (Lerat), and Amber Washington (Sabine).

 

Location: Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland St. Chicago, IL 60622

 

Dates: Regular Run: Thursday, April 11 –Saturday, May 18, 2024

There will be a special Gala performance on Sunday, May 19th.

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 pm.

Press performance: Press are encouraged to attend opening weekend.

Tickets: $30 with 2-for-1 admission on Thursdays. Tickets are currently available at https://trapdoor.ticketleap.com/nana/ or by calling (773) 384-0494.

 

Group tickets: Special group rates are available. For information, call (773) 384-0494 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Plan your visit:

 

Free street parking is available.

Buses: #9 (Ashland), #50 (Damen), #72 (North), #73 (Armitage).

Metra: Clybourn metra stop.

 

Accessibility:

 

Trap Door Theatre is wheelchair accessible.

There will be a captioned performance on Friday, May 3rd.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, under the leadership of Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis and Executive Director Brooke Flanagan, today announced its 2024/25 Season, featuring a dynamic line-up of modern masterpieces, Chicago and world premieres. The 49th Season includes five Steppenwolf Membership Series productions that invite audiences to experience the next chapter of Steppenwolf's bold, visceral and muscular work, while celebrating a dynamic range of exciting new voices and Steppenwolf legends. The 2024/25 Season is presented at Steppenwolf's expanded campus, which includes three theaters: the in-the-round Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell, the Downstairs Theater and the intimate 1700 Theater.

Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis comment, "Our 2024/25 Season demands the best from our ensemble. The plays we've chosen require our artists to bring the whole of themselves (physically, emotionally, spiritually) and leave it all onstage in a sprint to the finish. Night. After. Night. This season feels like the strike of a match, a lit fuse and a race to the explosive finale."

Raising the curtain on Steppenwolf's 2024/25 Season, Tony Award-winning ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro returns to direct Michael Frayn's classic comedy Noises Off, presented in a co-production with Geffen Playhouse, where ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney serves as Artistic Director. Steppenwolf's take on the funniest farce ever written features ensemble members Audrey Francis, Francis Guinan, Ora Jones, James Vincent Meredith and Karen Rodriguez. The 49th season continues with the world premiere of Ngozi Anyanwu's bluesy, seductive Leroy and Lucy, directed by Awoye Timpo. Featuring live music, ensemble member Jon Michael Hill stars in this tale of a musician and a stranger who meet at a crossroads on a dark Mississippi night. Up next, Jeremy Herrin helms Sam Shepard's masterpiece Fool For Love, a twisted and tequila-soaked love letter from one of the greatest American playwrights. In the spring, Steppenwolf is thrilled to present the Chicago premiere of The Book of Grace by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, an explosive family portrait directed by Steve H. Broadnax III and featuring ensemble member Glenn Davis. The 2024/25 Season concludes with the Chicago premiere of Noah Diaz's wildly imaginative new play You Will Get Sick, directed by Artistic Director Audrey Francis with an ensemble cast including Cliff Chamberlain, Amy Morton and Namir Smallwood.

2024/25 Classic Memberships are now on sale starting as low as $160 and include all five Membership Series productions – three plays in the Downstairs Theater and two in the Ensemble Theater. Classic Members receive priority access to seats along with full membership benefits, including unlimited ticket exchanges. The Black Card, Steppenwolf's flex membership, offers six ticket credits starting as low as $120 that allow patrons flexibility for when and how they see shows at Steppenwolf. For patrons under 30, RED Card Memberships offer six ticket credits for just $99. Discounted packages for students and teachers and accessible packages are also available. For more information and to purchase Memberships, visit Audience Services at www.steppenwolf.org or call (312) 335-1650.

Throughout the 2024/25 season, Steppenwolf continues its commitment to the next generation of audiences with dedicated student matinee performances during four of the five Membership Series productions (Noises Off, Leroy and Lucy, Fool For Love and The Book of Grace). Reaching nearly 15,000 teens, educators and community members annually, Steppenwolf Education and Engagement also includes in-school residencies, teen programs, community partnerships and educator trainings for classroom teachers and teaching artists. For additional information about Steppenwolf's Education and Engagement programming and to register your school for a field trip visit steppenwolf.org/education.

Also in 2024/25, Steppenwolf's LookOut Series will continue to present an incredible breadth of work in the 1700 Theater. A home for Chicago's performing artists across disciplines, LookOut will shortly announce their eclectic lineup for Summer 2024 and beyond. Highlights will include: new work from Chicago theater legends, a recurring musical theater-themed drag show, solo showcases from Chicago's funniest comedians, evenings of exciting local music and much more. The LookOut Series is ongoing, with full programming at steppenwolf.org/lookout

Executive Director Brooke Flanagan adds "With next season, Steppenwolf is doubling down on our role as America's preeminent ensemble theater. Our commitment to bold ensemble-driven work, service as a launching pad for new plays and partnership in education to teachers and teens across Chicago has never been stronger. Our three-theater campus has also allowed us to welcome a broader spectrum of the arts community to create alongside us – through both the LookOut Series and visiting artist initiatives. The result is a dynamic calendar of offerings to complement our season of produced work that positions Steppenwolf as a cultural hub for Chicago."

Noises Off
By Michael Frayn
Directed by ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro
Featuring ensemble members Audrey Francis, Francis Guinan, Ora Jones, James Vincent Meredith and Karen Rodriguez
A co-production with Geffen Playhouse
September 12 – October 27, 2024
In the Downstairs Theater
Press opening: Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 6 pm

The cast and crew of Nothing On are scrambling to prepare for opening night, but despite their earnest efforts, the production is an absolute mess. Line flubs and lost props and missed cues, oh my! Can this beleaguered ensemble overcome egos and jealousies to pull the show together in time? 

Onstage antics collide with offstage foibles in Steppenwolf's production of Noises Off, the classic comedy that writes an ingenious, slapstick and zany tribute to "theatre-people" everywhere. By the end of this dizzying play-within-a-play, you won't know stage right from left.

World Premiere!
Leroy and Lucy
By Ngozi Anyanwu
Directed by Awoye Timpo
Featuring ensemble member Jon Michael Hill
October 24 – December 15, 2024 
In the Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell
Press opening: Sunday, November 3, 2024 at 6 pm

Two lost souls meet at a crossroads, in the dead of night, deep in the Mississippi of it all. With a yearning guitar between them, they tell secrets and conjure a sound once forgotten – a tune pitched with Leroy's longing and the sweet purr of Lucy's desires. In this sultry world premiere, a play with music from Ngozi Anyanwu, the Delta Blues fill the air, the future lies just down the road and we are everywhere and nowhere all at once. 

Fool For Love
By Sam Shepard
Directed by Jeremy Herrin
January 30 – March 16, 2025
In the Downstairs Theater
Press opening: Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 7:30 pm

In a sweltering motel room in the Mojave Desert, May and Eddie lick their wounds and get ready for another relentless round. This brawl is eternal and infernal. And the Old Man is always watching. 

Perhaps the sexiest, most haunting play of the 20th century, Fool for Love is a twisted and tequila-soaked love letter from Sam Shepard, one of the greatest American playwrights, indulging the need to get inside someone just to tear them apart.

Chicago Premiere!
The Book of Grace
By Suzan-Lori Parks
Directed by Steve H. Broadnax III
Featuring ensemble member Glenn Davis
March 27 – May 18, 2025
In the Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell
Press opening: Sunday, April 6, 2025 at 6 pm

Grace looks for the good in everything: in her husband's rules, in the border he patrols, in the return of his estranged son. But a want for goodness cannot unwind the past, as this taut family reunion explodes in all directions.

The Chicago premiere of Suzan-Lori Parks' The Book of Grace is an incendiary family portrait from the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer of Topdog/Underdog. Witness this startling reminder that the search for common ground can be bloody and brutal, leaving casualties on every side of the divide.

Chicago Premiere!
You Will Get Sick
By Noah Diaz
Directed by Artistic Director Audrey Francis
Featuring ensemble members Cliff Chamberlain, Amy Morton and Namir Smallwood
June 5 – July 13, 2025
In the Downstairs Theater
Press opening: Sunday, June 15, 2025 at 6 pm

A young man with a secret. An older woman who will listen. A predatory flock of birds. An upcoming audition for The Wizard of Oz. Welcome to You Will Get Sick, a wildly imaginative new play that traces the touching, hilarious, heartbreaking saga of one man's illness and his unlikely caretaker's pursuit of her dreams.  

Admired as "lively, surreal and surprising" by The New York Times, Noah Diaz's Chicago debut is equal parts comedy, form-bending experiment and sober meditation on mortality. Renowned ensemble member Amy Morton (a Tony Award nominee for August: Osage County and Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) returns to the Steppenwolf stage for the first time in over a decade, making this season finale a must-see experience! 

Giordano Dance Chicago (GDC) presents their "Season 61 | UNLIMITED!" Spring engagement at the Harris Theater at Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph Street, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6. The program will feature the world premiere of "Gershwin in B" choreographed by Al Blackstone, Emmy Award-winner for Best Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming for his work on "So You Think You Can Dance." The premiere of Adam Houston's new pas de deux "unconditional" and popular selections from GDC's repertoire will complete the program.

"'Gershwin in B' is a celebration of the glorious music of George Gershwin, the incredible legacy of Giordano Dance Chicago, and one young woman's curious spirit" says Blackstone. "Making this piece was its own chapter of my life and I'm grateful to Nan, Cesar, and the incredible dancers of Giordano Dance Chicago for making it such a beautiful one."

Blackstone has choreographed extensively around the country and Off-Broadway. Credits include "Freddie Falls in Love" (Joyce Theater), "Happy We'll Be" (Roseland Ballroom), "Elephant in the Room" (Arts on Site), "NORMA" (Steps on Broadway) and "Brown Eyed Girl" (2011 Capezio A.C.E. Award for Choreographic Excellence). In 2020 Blackstone won an Emmy for his work on "So You Think You Can Dance" (FOX). Additional network television credits include "Good Morning America" and The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. His artistic arena includes self-produced short films and in 2020 he was chosen by the Irving Berlin Estate to direct and choreograph "Isn't It a Lovely Day" to commemorate the 85th Anniversary of the classic musical "Top Hat."

Blackstone's work is the focus of entire second half of the program. The first half of the program will include the following:
• "unconditional"- World Premiere by GDC Company Dancer Adam Houston. "unconditional" comes to the stage through "G on G," GDC's investment in its dancers' artistic expression through a choreography showcase. Houston's new pas de deux will be performed by Fernando Rodriguez and Sasha Lazarus.
• "Alegría" by Kiesha Lalama (2011). The Chicago Tribune calls it "entertaining, swift and alluring, and smartly shows off the subtle, Latin-tinged joys of its score."
• "Entropy" by Davis Robertson (2002). Set to music by Astor Piazzolla, this work has been hailed as "a genuine stunner" by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Giordano Dance Chicago presents their "Season 61 | UNLIMITED!" Spring engagement at the Harris Theater at Millennium Park, 205 E. Randolph Street at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6. Tickets range from $20-$90. For tickets or more information visit harristheaterchicago.org or call 312.334.7777

Giordano Dance Chicago (GDC), America's original jazz dance company, is an iconic cultural institution with deep roots in Chicago and partnerships around the globe. From its origins in founder Gus Giordano's original school in Evanston, Ill., to its current incarnation as a Chicago-based world-class dance company, GDC boasts more than a half century of worldwide performances (28 countries, 47 states, more than 1300 cities). Now in her 39th season, Nan Giordano has led the company as Artistic Director, responsible for commissioning innovative choreographic works and mentoring thousands of aspiring dancers. This season she is joined by GDC's new Executive Director Erica Lynette Edwards as the company continues its exciting evolution.

GDC is one of the few dance companies in the world that has a foundational technique (NGCP©) with certified teachers in 36 states and 8 countries. This season, GDC's robust schedule will include touring performances around the U.S. including Naples, Fla., Dallas, Texas and Santa Fe, N.M. GDC's educational mission includes workshops and mentorship programs at home and on tour. Their Jazz Dance/Science & Health initiative is a robust arts integration program in which GDC company dancers use a dance-centric framework to teach state-mandated elementary school anatomy and nutrition curriculum within the science classroom. Offered in the spring of each year since 2006, this seven-week, no-cost program has served more than 5,500 Chicago Public School students. For more information about GDC visit giordanodance.org.

Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL is now playing at Broadway In Chicago's CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.). PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL is playing for a limited engagement through March 17.

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL, based on one of Hollywood's most beloved romantic stories of all springs to life with a powerhouse creative team led by two-time Tony Award®-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde).

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL features an original score by Grammy® winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance ("Summer of '69", "Heaven"), and a book by the movie's legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J. F. Lawton. PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL will lift your spirits and light up your heart. "If you love the movie, you'll love the musical!" (BuzzFeed News).

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL has original scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner and Philip S. Rosenberg, sound design by John Shivers, hair design by Josh Marquette, makeup design by Fiona Mifsud, and music supervision, arrangements, and orchestrations by Will Van Dyke.

Featured in the musical is Roy Orbison and Bill Dee's international smash hit song "Oh, Pretty Woman," which inspired the iconic movie. PRETTY WOMAN the film (produced by Arnon Milchan - New Regency Productions) was an international smash hit when it was released in 1990.

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL is produced on tour by Crossroads Live and is booked by The Booking Group (www.thebookinggroup.com).

This production of PRETTY WOMAN THE MUSICAL was licensed by Music Theatre International, www.mtishows.com.

Atlantic Records' PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL (Original Broadway Cast Recording) is produced by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and is now available on all DSPs.

For more information visit: PrettyWomanTheMusical.com

Facebook.com/PrettyWoman | Twitter.com/PrettyWoman | Instagram.com/PrettyWoman/

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 13 at 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m.

Friday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 16 at 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 17 at 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets for PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL are on sale now and range from $30.00 - $110.00 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.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● TikTok @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

Broadway In Chicago and Universal Theatrical Group announced today complete casting for the world-premiere Chicago production of the drop-dead hilarious new musical comedy, DEATH BECOMES HER.

Starring alongside the previously announced Tony Award nominee Megan Hilty as "Madeline Ashton," and Tony Award nominee Jennifer Simard as "Helen Sharp" are Tony Award nominee Christopher Sieber as "Ernest Menville," and Grammy Award winner Michelle Williams as "Viola Van Horn."

The ensemble includes: Marija Abney, Sarita Colon, Kaleigh Cronin, Natalie Charle Ellis, Taurean Everett, Michael Graceffa, Kolton Krouse, Josh Lamon, Sarah Meahl, Diana Vaden, Sir Brock Warren, Bud Weber, Ryan Worsing, Ericka Hunter Yang, and Warren Yang. Beau Harmon, Johanna Moise, Amy Quanbeck, and Zach Williams join as Swings.

DEATH BECOMES HER will play a pre-Broadway engagement in Spring 2024 at Broadway In Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 West Randolph Street, Chicago, IL) from April 30 – June 2, 2024.

Madeline Ashton is the most beautiful actress (just ask her) ever to grace the stage and screen. Helen Sharp is the long-suffering author (just ask her) who lives in her shadow. They have always been the best of frenemies...until Madeline steals Helen's fiancé away. As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that's to die for. 

After one sip of Viola's magical potion, Madeline and Helen begin a new era of life (and death) with their youth and beauty restored...and a grudge to last eternity.

Starring Tony Award® nominees Megan Hilty (Wicked, "Smash"), Jennifer Simard (Company, Disaster!), and Christopher Sieber (Spamalot, Company), with Grammy® Award winner Michelle Williams (Destiny's Child, Chicago), Death Becomes Her, based on the classic 1992 film, is a drop-dead hilarious new musical comedy about friendship, love, and burying the hatchet...again, and again, and again.

DEATH BECOMES HER features an original score by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, a book by Marco Pennette, music supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, orchestrations by Doug Besterman, dance & incidental music arrangements by Sam Davis, and music direction by Ben CohnDEATH BECOMES HER will be directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli.

The creative team for DEATH BECOMES HER includes Derek McLane (Sets), Paul Tazewell (Costumes), Justin Townsend (Lights), Peter Hylenski (Sound), Rob Lake (Illusions), Charles LaPointe (Hair & Wigs), Joe Dulude II (Make-up), Thomas Schall (Fights), Tara Rubin Casting (Casting), 321 Theatrical Management (General Management), and Rachel Sterner (Production Stage Management)

DEATH BECOMES HER is produced by Universal Theatrical Group (UTG), overseen by Jimmy Horowitz (Chairman of Business Affairs and Operations, NBCUniversal), and led by Chris Herzberger (Senior Vice President, Universal Theatrical Group). UTG's Vice President of Creative Development and Production, Lowe Cunningham, oversees on behalf of UTG.

DEATH BECOMES HER is based on the Universal Pictures film, written by David Koepp and Martin Donovan, directed by Robert Zemeckis. For more information visit: DeathBecomesHer.com.

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets for DEATH BECOMES HER range in price from $33.00 to $113.00 with a select number of premium seats available. Individual tickets are available by visiting www.BroadwayInChicago.com or going to any Broadway In Chicago venue box office. Tickets are also available 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.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesday and Wednesday performances are at 7:30 pm with Wednesday matinees at 2:00 pm on May 15, 22 & 29; Thursday, Friday, & Saturday performances are at 7:30 pm with Saturday matinees 2:00 pm on May 11, 18, 25 & 6/1; Sunday performances are at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm on May 5 & May 12; 5:00 pm on May 19; 2:00 pm on May 26; and 2 pm on June 2. For more information visit BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT UNIVERSAL THEATRICAL GROUP

Universal Theatrical Group (UTG) is the live theater division of the world-famous motion picture studio. UTG, which oversees both Universal Stage Productions and DreamWorks Theatricals, is currently represented by the record-breaking musical phenomenon Wicked, now celebrating its 20th smash-hit year on Broadway. Wicked has been seen by over 60 million people worldwide, making it one of the most successful theatrical ventures of all time. In 2008, Universal's musical adaptation of Billy Elliot opened on Broadway and went on to win ten Tony Awards including Best Musical. Universal also produced the Tony-nominated Broadway productions of Bring It On: The Musical and Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn with Roundabout Theatre Company. DreamWorks Theatricals, which became part of UTG in 2016, was formed to develop live entertainment inspired by the studio's acclaimed library of animated films, including the Tony-winning musical adaptation of Shrek and the West End production of The Prince of Egypt

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 23 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.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● TikTok @broadwayinchicago

  • #broadwayinchicago

Ashley Wheater MBE, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Directorof The Joffrey Ballet,today announces the Joffrey's 2024–2025 Season at Lyric Opera House, featuring an adaptation from Ian McEwan's 2001 novel-turned-Academy Award®-winning film; the magical return of a holiday classic; two world premieres in an illuminating winter series; and a plunge down the rabbit hole into a whimsical Wonderland adventure.

The Joffrey Ballet begins its 69th season with Cathy Marston's U.S. premiere of Atonement, October 17–27, 2024, a full-length narrative ballet of a tragic love story set against the historical backdrop of 1935 England. Soon after, the Joffrey once again brings holiday magic with the return of Christopher Wheeldon'sThe Nutcracker, December 6–28, 2024, followed by Golden Hour, February 20–March 2, 2025, with original work by Dani Rowe and Yuri Possokhov, accompanied by pieces from frequent Joffrey collaborators Nicolas Blanc and Cathy Marston. Closing out the season is a not-to-be-missed highlight of the year—plunge down the rabbit hole into the fantastical world of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, where two-time Tony Award®-winner Christopher Wheeldon brings Lewis Carroll's fantastical world to life with instantly recognizable characters such as the high-strung Queen of Hearts, the entrancing Caterpillar, and the tap-dancing Mad Hatter, June 5–15, 2025.

"It is always an honor to set premieres on the Joffrey, whether new to Chicago, the U.S., or the world. Our 69th season is a special invitation for audiences to immerse themselves in an abundance of fresh, captivating narratives," says The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE. "We begin with the haunting echoes of redemption in Cathy Marston's poignant adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel Atonement, a co-production with Ballett Zürich making its North American premiere. In our winter series, Golden Hour, we'll infuse the Lyric with a touch of warmth through radiant interpretations, including Dani Rowe's Princess and the Pea. Lastly, we close the season on a celebratory note, as we are the first American company to stage Christopher Wheeldon's unique realm of beauty, curiosity, and delight with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This year, Chicago will witness all that dance can offer."

"The coming season provides the opportunity for continued growth, both artistically and on a business front," says President and CEO Greg Cameron. "Ashley's vision is grounded in Robert Joffrey's founding principle to embrace the new, and in a city fostering creative growth and exploration, Chicago is the perfect home for a year as expansive and dynamic as this one. Our 2024-2025 season invites audiences of all ages to experience the many worlds of dance."

All season performances take place at the Lyric Opera House in downtown Chicago at 20 North Upper Wacker Drive. All programs throughout the season feature live music performed by the Lyric Opera Orchestra,conductedby Scott Speck, Music Director of The Joffrey Ballet.  

About the 2024-2025 Season

 

Atonement | October 17–27, 2024

Choreographer: Cathy Marston | Music: Laura Rossi

Renowned choreographer Marston brings her re-imagining of Ian McEwan's 2001 novel-turned Academy Award®-winning film to the stage in a large-scale narrative ballet. The poignant story follows Briony Tallis, revealed in the book as its author and now portrayed in the ballet as a celebrated choreographer, as she grapples with the haunting echoes of her past through a breathtaking dance of redemption.

Marston's adaptation unfolds the tragic love story of Briony's older sister, Cecilia, against the historical backdrop of the First World War in 1935 England to explore the intricate layers of societal norms and the enduring impact of a single lie. Enveloped in Rossi's evocative musical score, with dynamic choreography portraying the complexities of self-deception, the transformation of memory, and the weight of guilt, Atonement shares an emotionally charged experience with a startling twist finale that will linger in the soul. Learn more about Cathy Marston here.

U.S. Premiere

With gratitude to Atonement Producing Sponsor Anne L. Kaplan and Presenting Sponsors Lorna Ferguson and Terry Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Joel V. Williamson, and the Rudolf Nureyev Fund at The Joffrey Ballet.

The Nutcracker | December 6–28, 2024

Choreography: ©Christopher Wheeldon | Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

On a magical Christmas Eve, mere months before the opening of Chicago's 1893 World's Fair, Marie and her mother, a sculptress creating the fair's iconic Statue of the Republic, partake in a festive celebration with a surprise visit from the mysterious Great Impresario. That evening, after awakening to an epic battle between Toy Soldiers and The Rat King, Marie is swept away by a Nutcracker Prince on a whirlwind journey to the dreamlike fairgrounds of the World's Columbian Exposition with sprawling attractions represented by countries from around the globe.

 

Set to Tchaikovsky's classic score, The Nutcracker features a celebrated creative team, including two-time Tony Award®-winning choreographer ©Christopher Wheeldon, Tony Award®-nominated set and costume designer Julian Crouch, Caldecott Medal Award-winning author Brian Selznick, Obie and Drama Desk award-winning puppeteer Basil Twist, Tony Award®-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz and Tony Award®-winning projection designer Ben Pearcy. Learn more about Christopher Wheeldon here.

 

With gratitude to The Nutcracker Presenting Sponsor Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company.

Golden Hour | February 20–March 2, 2025

Bask in the glow of Golden Hour, a radiant mixed repertoire program of warmth and splendor. Featuring world premieres by Dani Rowe and Yuri Possokhov, the return of Cathy Marston, and an audience favorite by Nicolas Blanc.

 

The full program is as follows:

 

Princess and the Pea

Choreography: Dani Rowe | Music: Jim Stephenson

Heralded as a "choreographic storyteller," Rowe's artistic style has been described as "rich, flowing, and contemporary." The Australian choreographer will present an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's timeless fairy tale, Princess and the Pea, in a dynamic and modern re-envisioning.  When her parents are unjustly "canned and banned" in the authoritarian world of Pea Town, young Penelopea embarks on a daring quest for justice. As she battles the oppressive Master Pea to regain her parents' 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. Learn more about Dani Rowe here.

World Premiere

With gratitude to The Princess and the Pea Commissioning Sponsor Mary Jo and Doug Basler.

Heimat

Choreography: Cathy Marston | Music: Richard Wagner

A dance interpretation of the glorious symphonic poem Seigfried Idyll, composed by 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. Rather, it's a term that suggests a place of spiritual and creative familiarity. Marston feels that "heimat" is a tender description of her personal feelings about Chicago and The Joffrey Ballet. Learn more about Cathy Marston here.

 

Under the Trees' Voices

Choreography: Nicolas Blanc | Music: Ezio Bosso

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. Learn more about Nicolas Blanc here.

With gratitude to Under the Trees' Voices Sponsor Mary Jo and Doug Basler.

World Premiere (title TBA)

Choreography: Yuri Possokhov | Music: Dmitri Shostakovich

Frequent choreographer at the Joffrey whose most recent productions include the critically acclaimed adaptation of Anna Karenina, in addition to The Miraculous Mandarin and Don Quixote, returns for the 2024-2025 season with an intimate world premiere created for three dancers. Known for his expansive choreography and powerful partnering skills, Possokhov's work has been described as among "the canon of 21st-century classics." Learn more about Yuri Possokhov here.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | June 5–15, 2025

Choreography: ©Christopher Wheeldon | Music: Joby Talbot

Plunge down the rabbit hole into the fantastical world of Wonderland as two-time Tony Award®-winner Christopher Wheeldon brings Lewis Carroll's whimsical adventure to the stage with a modern twist. Immersed within Joby Talbot's hallucinatory sound world of sweeping melodies and ticking clocks, with Tony Award®-winning designer Bob Crowley's vibrant stagecraft and puppetry, Wheeldon makes Wonderland wonderfully real in this audience-favorite dance adventure. Things get curiouser and curiouser as Alice traverses a mysterious realm of instantly recognizable characters: the high-strung Queen of Hearts, the entrancing Caterpillar, and the tap-dancing Mad Hatter at his bizarre tea party. Lose your head in a seamless fusion of humor, eccentricity, and fantasy as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland takes you on a magical trip through the extraordinary. Learn more about Christopher Wheeldon here.

Experience this Chicago premiere with the Joffrey, the first American ballet company to bring Wheeldon's Wonderland to life.

 

With gratitude to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Major Sponsors Mary Jo and Doug Basler and Mr. and Mrs. Ronald V. Waters III, and Costume Sponsor Jane Ellen Murray Foundation.

Other Engagements

 

The Joffrey Academy of Dance: Winning Works | March 14–23, 2025

The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, presents five world premieres in the culmination of Joffrey's national call for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American) artists. Winning Works will be presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago's Edlis Neeson Theater.

With gratitude to Winning Works Sponsors William Blair with Board Member Rita Spitz and Wilson Garling Foundation.

 

The Joffrey Ballet and Chicago Symphony Orchestra | April 10–13, 2025

New works and noteworthy collaborations with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra include world premieres of two newly commissioned ballets. Former Winning Works choreographer Amy Hall Garner sets her new ballet to Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson's Sinfonietta No. 1, and Joffrey choreographer Nicolas Blanc sets his new ballet to 20th-century French composer Darius Milhaud's Le Bœuf sur le toit.

Joffrey on Tour

Ravinia | September 13–14, 2024

Highland Park, IL

Baden-Baden Festival Tour | September 23–27, 2024

Baden-Baden, Germany

Tickets and Subscriptions for the Joffrey's 2024–2025 Season Performances 

Three-program subscriptions for the fall, winter, and spring season productions, which do not include The Nutcracker, start at $129. Subscriptions are available for purchase online at joffrey.org, by mail (Joffrey Ballet Subscriptions, The Joffrey Ballet, Joffrey Tower, 10 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601), by telephone at 312.386.8905, by fax at 312.739.0119 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Single tickets for the October, February, and June performances, as well as The Nutcracker, will be available starting this summer, by telephone at 312.386.8905 or online at joffrey.org. Please visit our website for updates. 

All performances are subject to change. 

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 68 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: The Abbott Fund, Alphawood Foundation Chicago, Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation, The Florian Fund, and Anne L. Kaplan.

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 our Season Partners: ATHLETICO and Chicago Athletic Clubs.

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

MadKap Productions is pleased to announce the cast and creative team for The Lightning Thief: a Percy Jackson Musical, a special Theatre for Young Audience presentation which will run for 10 live performances between June 7 and July 28 at the Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave in Downtown Skokie.

The Lightning Thief: A Percy Jackson Musical, is an of the popular young adult Percy Jackson book series by Rick Riordan, with a book by Joe Tracz and a score by Rob Rokicki.  In 2017, it was nominated as Best New Musical for a Drama Desk award, an Outer Critics Circle award, and an Off-Broadway Alliance award.  It is the story of a 12 year-old boy named Percy Jackson who finds out he’s the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.  While at a summer camp for demigods, he is sent on a quest with his friends Grover and Annabeth to recover the source and symbol of Zeus’s power, his master lightning bolt, which was allegedly stolen by another god.  If they don’t find the bolt on time, the gods of Mount Olympus will go to war, wreaking havoc on the mortal world as they do.

The production is directed by Miranda Coble.  Musical direction is my multi Joseph Jefferson award winner Jeremy Ramey with Choreography by Bianca Thompson.  Maddy Shilts produces for MadKap Productions.

The diverse ensemble cast features P-Jay Adams as Percy Jackson, Isha Singh as Annabeth, Joey Prette as Grover, Maddy Shilts as Luke, Anna Seibert as Sally, Patty Roache as Chiron, Margaret Higgins as Clarisse, Zach Moore as Mr. D, and Kitty Phillips as Thalia.

The Lightning Thief: A Percy Jackson Musical opens Friday, June 7 at 7:30 pm., with additional performances Sat June 8 at 7:30 pm, Thu June 13 at 7:30 pm, Fri June 14 at 7:30 pm, Sat June 15 at 7:30 pm, Thu June 27 at 10:30 am, Thu July11 at 10:30 am, Fri July 26 at 2:00 pm, Sat July 27 at 2:00 pm, and Sun July 28 at 7:30 pm.  Tickets are $35 general admission, and $25 for students and seniors and can be purchased online at SkokieTheatre.org or by phone at 847-677-7761.

MadKap Productions is celebrating their 10th anniversary at the Skokie Theatre.  In addition to plays and musicals, they also produce concerts, cabaret, and comedy shows.  They will be announcing their 11th season on March 29 at the opening for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Music Theater Works is proud to announce its annual gala, the Producers Gala, All that Jazz, Saturday, May 11 at 6 p.m. All That Jazz, at the Kenilworth Club at 410 Kenilworth Ave., begins at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour and is followed by a sit-down dinner, the presentation of the third annual Joyce Ruth Saxon Award for Excellence to Bridget McDonough, live and silent auctions and entertainment from Music Theater Works’ artists. Black tie/cocktail attire is encouraged. Funds raised at All that Jazz support Music Theater Works education and artistic programming. Tickets are $250 each with table sponsorships starting at $2500 for ten people. For sponsorship information contact Lisa McGowen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and to reserve tickets go to MusicTheaterWorks.com.

“Everyone at Music Theater Works looks forward to the Producers Gala each year,” said Producing Artistic Director Kyle A. Dougan. “It gives us an opportunity to have many of our sponsors and supporters in one room to celebrate past accomplishments and look forward to the new season. This year, we honor Bridget McDonough, one of the founders of the organization, as the Joyce Ruth Saxon Award for Excellence recipient during this night of fine dining, fundraising and unforgettable performances.”

The third annual Joyce Ruth Saxon Award for Excellence will be awarded to Bridget McDonough for his years of dedicated and generous support of Music Theater Works. The Joyce Ruth Saxon Award for Excellence, named in honor of the longtime supporter of Music Theater Works who passed away in 2022. The award is given each year to an individual who has made an impact on the art of music theater in Chicago, through artistic expression, public advocacy or significant financial support; recognizes the importance of engaging the entire community in the public, private, arts and business sector; is instrumental in the creation of great art and has demonstrated through their actions, works, and words their personal and profound commitment to our beloved art of musical theater in Chicago. The 2023 award recipient was Howard Hallengren.

ABOUT BRIDGET McDONOUGH, 2024 Joyce Ruth Saxon Award for Excellence Recipient

Bridget McDonough was employed in arts management from 1978, when she graduated from Northwestern University, until her 2019 retirement as general manager of Music Theater Works, which she co-founded (as Light Opera Works) in 1980 with Philip Kraus and others. Prior to founding Light Opera Works she worked for The Organic Theater Company in Chicago, The Troupe in Colorado Springs and Actors Equity Association.

She has served on the boards of many arts and civic organizations both nationally and locally in the Chicago area.  She is past president of the Rotary Club of Evanston and the North Shore International Network, where she still holds memberships. She served on the boards of the Evanston Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, Evanston Chamber of Commerce, Evanston Arts Alliance, National Alliance for Musical Theatre, Chicago Music Alliance, Around the Coyote, as well as the School of Communication Alumni Board at Northwestern University and the tourism committee of Chicago’s North Shore Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

Ms. McDonough was honored by the Evanston YWCA with their “Women on the Move” Award in 1991 and by the Evanston Chamber of Commerce with their 2009 Public Service/Nonprofit Person of the Year Award.

She is currently on the board of the Musicians Club of Women and Season of Concern in Chicago, the Tubac Nature Center in Arizona, and Write 4 Art in Los Angeles. She is a member of the advisory board of the Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre in Montana.Ms. McDonough served as an international judge at the Second Vladimir Kurochkin International Competition of Young Artists of Operetta and Musicals in Yekaterinburg, Russia, and VIBE (Vienna International Ballet Experience) in Missoula, Montana. She currently is serving as an international juror for Ballet Beyond Borders. 

Prior to her career in arts management, she studied dance and theater in Milwaukee and Chicago.

ABOUT MUSIC THEATER WORKS

Music Theater Works is a resident professional not-for-profit music theater founded in 1980. During its 43-year history it has presented more than 150 productions and intimate presentations. Music Theater Works is a professional theater company whose mission is to present works for the musical stage including historic repertoire, revitalizing the Golden Age of Broadway and earlier works, celebrating the Great American Songbook and introducing modern classics. 

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