Otherworld Theatre Company, the premier sci-fi and fantasy live theater production company in North America, today announced its smash hit original musical, "TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody" will begin a special six-week limited engagement at the Apollo Theater (2550 N Lincoln Ave) beginning Saturday, July 26. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, with a special fan presale beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 13. For tickets and more information, visit www.twihardthemusical.com.

Hailed as "too much fun" with a "surprising amount of heart" by the Chicago Tribune, "TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody" reimagines the beloved Twilight saga with uproarious humor and catchy original tunes. Written and directed by Tiffany Keane Schaefer with music by Brian Rasmussen, the smash hit "goes hard" (Chicago Reader) and recently concluded a sold-out run at Otherworld Theatre Company's Lakeview venue.

"Moving TWIHARD to the Apollo Theater is a significant milestone for us, and we're honored to share our musical parody in a venue with such a profound Chicago legacy," said Schaefer. "TWIHARD is such a celebration of creativity, passion and the enduring love for the Twilight saga, and we can't wait to create a magical experience that resonates with fans and newcomers alike."

Tickets to "TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody" will be available on Tuesday, June 17 at 10 a.m., with a special presale beginning Friday, June 13 at 10 a.m. For tickets and more information, please visit www.twihardthemusical.com. Press performances will take place on Saturday, July 26 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 27 at 4 p.m.

"TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody" will also release the original cast recording album on Friday, June 13, giving fans even more to take a bite out of ahead of the run. The recording will be available on Spotify.

About TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody
"TWIHARD! A Twilight Musical Parody" is a hilarious reimagining of the iconic Twilight saga, blending catchy original songs, over-the-top humor, and a fang-filled twist on the story of Bella, Edward, and the supernatural world of Forks. Created by Otherworld Theatre Company—North America's premier sci-fi and fantasy theatre—this side-splitting parody delivers a wildly entertaining experience for die-hard fans and first-timers alike. Whether you're Team Edward, Team Jacob, or just in it for the chaos, "TWIHARD!" promises an evening of laughter, love and glitter.

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to conclude its 2024/25 Season with the world premiere of QUEEN FOR A DAY written by ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith* and directed by Stephanie Shaw. This gay fantasia on national themes... wait, wrong play. This one-act comedy/drama/cry for help about a diva (Queen Elizabeth I, previously played by Cate Blanchett), another diva (America's first superstar designer Halston) and a very sane normal person (Liza Minnelli) will play July 9 – August 3, 2025 at the Bramble Arts Loft – The Berry, 5545 N. Clark St. in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. Tickets now on sale at handbagproductions.org or buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/1690572. The press opening is Saturday, July 12 at 7:30 pm.

Please note: QUEEN FOR A DAY replaces Handbag's previously-announced production of ANNIE COKELEY, which will be staged at a later date.

The cast includes ensemble member Tyler Anthony Smith* with Dakota Hughes and Will Lidke. Understudies include Wendy Hayne, Cory McMenomy and Brandon Nelson.

About the Production:

American fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick (Will Lidke), known to the world simply as Halston, is down on his luck. He's packing up his chic-as-hell Olympic Tower office for reasons he doesn't want to discuss. To make matters worse, Elizabeth I (Tyler Anthony Smith*) is knocking on his door. Yes, Elizabeth I, whose reign as Queen of England spanned from 1558 to 1603. But it's 1984 in New York City. All that time spent at Studio 54 might be starting to catch up to the King of Minimalism's brain.

Elizabeth I demands that Roy (who hates being called that) make her a new gown to (she lets out a singular cough) die in. Oh, and she needs it by the end of the day, even though he seems to be in the midst of a breakdown. He takes her money and agrees, and the unlikely pair moves forward with the design of a lifetime. That is until Halston has to help his best friend, Liza Minnelli (Dakota Hughes), with her new act. Any questions?

The production team includes Taylor Dalton (Scenic Designer), Rachel M. Sypniewski (Costume Designer), Garrett Bell (Lighting Designer), Miranda Coble (Sound Designer), Maggie O'Brien (Props Designer), Syd Genco* (Make-up Designer), Keith Ryan* (Wig Designer), Andrew Milliken (11 O'Clock Number Arrangement), Tom Daniel (Technical Director), Tyler Anthony Smith* (Production Manager), Jackson Mikkelsen (Master Electrician), Michael S. Miller* (Graphic Designer) and Jenna Raithel (Stage Manager).

*Denotes Handbag Ensemble Member

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: QUEEN FOR A DAY

Playwright: Tyler Anthony Smith*
Director: Stephanie Shaw
Cast (in alphabetical order): Dakota Hughes (Liza Minnelli), Will Lidke (Halston) and Tyler Anthony Smith* (Elizabeth I). Understudies: Wendy Hayne, Cory McMenomy and Brandon Nelson.

Location: Bramble Arts Loft – The Berry, 5545 N. Clark St., Chicago

Previews: Wednesday, July 9 at 7:30 pm, Thursday, July 10 at 7:30 pm and Friday, July 11 at 7:30 pm.
Regular run: Sunday, July 13 – Sunday, August 3, 2025
Curtain Times: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm; Saturdays at 4 pm & 7:30 pm; and Sundays at 4 pm. Please note: there will be an added performance on Monday, July 28 at 7:30 pm (Industry Night).

Tickets: Previews: $25. General admission: $35. VIP reserved: $43. Tickets now on sale at handbagproductions.org or buytickets.at/hellinahandbagproductions/1690572.

About the Artists:

Tyler Anthony Smith (Playwright) is the unwell Hell in a Handbag ensemble member responsible for creating last season's megamusical, Poor People! Some other Chicago companies Miss Smith has worked with include: Haven (Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Jeff Award, Performer in a Principal Role - Musical), [producing body], Curious Theatre Branch (Rhino Fest), Sweetback Productions, The Neo-Futurists and Eclipse Theatre Company. Tyler appeared Off-Off-Broadway at La MaMa via Hell in a Handbag. He/She/They is/is/are represented by DDO. Instagram: @judithnightlight

Stephanie Shaw (Director) has presented her original solo performance work for a wide range of venues in the Chicago area, as well as NYC. An alumni member of the Neo-Futurists, she wrote and performed regularly for Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind for five years. She has directed a number of Solo Shows for Live Bait Theatre, The New York Fringe, Sweetback Productions and the simple pleasure of Tyler Anthony Smith and his audiences. She directed Tyler's Poor People! The Parody Musical, Frankenstreisand and Out! Darn Spot for Hell In A Handbag, as well as his People Do Do Such Things, The Kindness of Mangers and I Know You Need My Verve. She has directed for The Neo-Futurists, The New York Fringe, Oak Park Festival Theatre, MirrorBox Theatre (Cedar Rapids) and over a dozen plays and musicals for the theatre department of Columbia College Chicago, where she is a Professor of Instruction. Once upon a time, she was a theatre critic for the Chicago Reader.

About Hell in a Handbag Productions:

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit handbagproductions.org.

Broadway In Chicago is pleased to announce Chicago’s acclaimed TimeLine Theatre Company is returning to the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (following previous hit productions OSLO and THE LEHMAN TRILOGY) with this sharply funny Tony Award®-winning hit satire of progressivism, parenting, and public health. EUREKA DAY centers on a Berkeley, California school where every decision is made by consensus. But when a mumps outbreak hits, the community’s culture of inclusiveness spirals into chaos. EUREKA DAY will run January 13 – February 22, 2026. Opening Night is January 21 at 7:00 p.m. Casting is still to be announced.

At Berkeley, California’s ultra-progressive Eureka Day School, every decision is made by consensus. But when a mumps outbreak hits, the school's carefully cultivated culture of inclusiveness spirals into chaos. As parents and board members clash over vaccines, personal freedoms, and viral misinformation, a community built on open-minded ideals implodes. Winner of a 2025 Tony Award® for Best Revival of a Play, this Chicago premiere presented by TimeLine Theatre Company tackles one of the defining questions of our time: how do you build consensus when no one can agree on the truth?

Acclaimed as “a powder keg of debate, liberal niceties, and hidden agendas” by The Daily Beast, EUREKA DAY is that rare combination—a “gaspingly funny” (New York Magazine) satire that captures the absurdity of modern discourse in ways that are intelligent, insightful, and real.

EUREKA DAY had its world premiere at Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley, Calif., in 2018. The play premiered Off-Broadway in 2019 and at the Old Vic in London in 2022, before returning to New York City and Broadway via Manhattan Theatre Club in 2024. The Broadway production was nominated for two Tony Awards® and won for Best Revival of a Play. It also recently won the 2025 Drama League Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play.

TICKET INFORMATION
EUREKA DAY is part of Broadway In Chicago’s upcoming season, which is on sale now. Individual tickets for EUREKA DAY will go on sale at a later date. 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 .

Artist headshots can be found here.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Jonathan Spector (Playwright, EUREKA DAY) is a Tony Award®-winning playwright based in Northern California, whose work has been produced on and off Broadway, regionally, and internationally. His plays include Eureka Day (Tony Award® for Best Revival of a Play, 2025 Drama League Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play, Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Revival, New York Critics Circle Award nomination, WhatsOnStage Award nomination, The New York Times Critics' Pick); This Much I Know (Edgerton Award, Glickman Award, Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award); Birthright; Best Available (Elizabeth George Commission); and Siesta Key. His work has been produced with Manhattan Theater Club, The Old Vic, Sonia Friedman Productions, Aurora Theater, Marin Theater Company, Pasadena Playhouse, Hampstead, Theater J, Asolo Rep, Syracuse Stage, Mosaic Theater, Colt Couer and Miami New Drama, among others. He is currently working on commissions for Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout and La Jolla Playhouse.

Lili-Anne Brown (Director, EUREKA DAY), a Chicago South Side native, works as a director, actor and educator, and has performed in, directed, and produced many award-winning shows in Chicago and nationally. Recent directing credits include The Color Purple, The Nacirema Society…, School Girls, and the world premieres of Ike Holter’s I Hate It Here and Lottery Day (Goodman Theatre); Two Trains Running (The Acting Company, National Tour); Dreamgirls (McCarter Theater and Goodspeed Musicals); FELA! (Olney Theater); Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Huntington Theatre); Ain’t No Mo’ (Woolly Mammoth and Baltimore CenterStage); Waitress, Rent, and The Color Purple (The Muny); Once on This Island (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); Acoustic Rooster... (Kennedy Center and National Tour); and Put Your House in Order (La Jolla Playhouse). She is the former Artistic Director of Bailiwick Chicago, where she focused programming on Chicago-premiere musicals and new play development with resident playwrights. She has received two Helen Hayes Awards, five Jeff Awards, two BTA awards and one African American Arts Alliance Award for excellence in directing. She is an inaugural recipient of the Walder Foundation’s Platform Award and a 2021 recipient of the 3Arts Award for Theatre. She is a member of SDC, AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and a graduate of Northwestern University.

ABOUT TIMELINE THEATRE COMPANY
TimeLine Theatre Company, recipient of the prestigious 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions, was founded in April 1997 with a mission to present stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. Currently celebrating its 28th season, TimeLine has presented 92 productions, including 14 world premieres and 42 Chicago premieres, and launched the Living History Education Program and TimeLine South summer arts program, which bring the company's mission to life for students in Chicago Public Schools and beyond. Recipient of the Alford- Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence and the Richard Goodman Strategic Planning Award from the Association for Strategic Planning, TimeLine has received 62 Jeff Awards, including an award for Outstanding Production 11 times.

The company departed its longtime home on Wellington Avenue in August 2024 and moved into new administrative offices at 5539 N. Broadway, Ste. B, a few blocks north of the site of its future new home, located at 5035 N. Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Construction is ongoing on that site, where plans feature an intimate black box theater seating up to 250 audience members, expanded area for the immersive lobby experiences that are a TimeLine hallmark, new opportunities for education and engagement, room to allow audience members to arrive early and stay late for theatergoing experiences that extend far beyond the stage, and more.

TimeLine is led by Artistic Director PJ Powers, Executive Director Mica Cole, and Board President Thaddeus J. Malik. TimeLine Company members are Tyla Abercrumbie, Will Allan, Nick Bowling, Janet Ulrich Brooks, Behzad Dabu, Charles Andrew Gardner, Lara Goetsch, Juliet Hart, Anish Jethmalani, Mildred Marie Langford, Mechelle Moe, David Parkes, Ron OJ Parson, PJ Powers, Maren Robinson, and Helen Young.

Major corporate, government and foundation donors providing season support via TimeLine’s Annual Fund include Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Bayless Family Foundation, Carol Oppenheim and Jerome Lamet Charitable Fund, Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, and The Shubert Foundation. TimeLine also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

For more information, visit timelinetheatre.com, or Facebook or Instagram (@TimeLineTheatre on both platforms).

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

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
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CPA Theatricals and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre today announced casting for their co-production of the play with music SENTINELS, which imagines a secret society of women that supports and promotes each other’s talents in the same way secret societies have supported men.  The cast to be directed by Christopher Pazdernik (any pronouns with respect) includes a number of rising stars of the Chicago musical theater scene playing the five remarkable women of this play. Dani Pike (she/her), who recently earned raves as the star of  Theo’s one-woman musical TELL ME ON A SUNDAY, will play Maeve – the strong-willed and fiercely independent leader of the Sentinels. Joryhebel Ginorio (she/her), a Jeff Award nominee for her principal role in Theo’s THE SECRET GARDEN, has been cast as the idealistic and diplomatic Katie. Sophia G. Dennis (she/her), who recently played Audrey in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at the Beverly Arts Center will appear as the intellectual yet sensual Grace. Maliha Sayed (she/her) will be the visionary scientist Elizabeth. Sayed has appeared in both THE SECRET GARDEN and THE SONDHEIM TRIBUTE REVIEW at Theo, as well as playing Julie Jordan in Music Theater Works’ CAROUSEL. Arwen-Vira Marsh (she/her), whose recent credits include ARTHUR & FRIENDS MAKE A MUSICAL! at Marriott Theatre will play Ashley – a radical lesbian liberal looking to dismantle societal norms. Completing the cast as the President of the fictional university that is home to the Sentinels is Anne Sheridan Smith, a Jeff nominee for her Theo roles in THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS and ONCE UPON A MATTRESS.

The SENTINELS production team, in addition to Pazdernik as director, include Britta Schlicht (she/her, Assistant Director and Understudy), Brenden Marble (he/him, Lighting Designer), Satya Chavez (Sound Designer). The technical staff includes Erik Tylkowski (they/them, Production Manager), Nihan Baysal (she/her, Stage Manager), Ismael Garcia (they/her, Assistant Stage Manager/Understudy). Larry Little (he/him) is Lead Producer.

SENTINELS was written by Writers Theatre co-founder Marilyn Campbell-Lowe, with music by Kim D. Sherman and lyrics by Campbell-Lowe and Sherman. It was commissioned by CPA Theatricals, the non-profit corporation founded by Larry Little in 2002 that is dedicated to the development of new plays and musicals. This special limited engagement will play a two-weekend run from August 1 -10, 2025.  Press is invited to review SENTINELS at any of the three performances opening weekend: Friday August 1 and Saturday, August 2 at 7:30 pm, or Sunday, August 3 at 3 pm.

In this play with music, the Sentinels are an all-women secret society of five graduate students at the fictional “Joan of Arc University” in Milwaukee, where they have been meeting clandestinely in an abandoned university room since 1945. Over the years, the Sentinels have been secretly assisting Sentinel alumni who are key contributors to such monumental achievements as the NASA moon launch and the development of a polio vaccine. As the play begins, the present-day Sentinels are facing the dissolution of their society due to the impending razing of the building in which they’ve been meeting. Reviewing documents in their archives on what they fear will be their final evening together, they reflect on their society’s history, looking back on events from 1945, 1952, 1967 and 1973. These were years in which women made lasting contributions to scientific advancement but were also turning points in progress for women – moments when they gained greater agency and autonomy and moved closer to full equality with men. In flashbacks to those five years, we see the developing sisterhood among the Sentinels of each era as they experience the societal sea changes of those periods.

The inspirational story of SENTINELS will be enhanced by original musical underscoring. Sherman’s music will evoke the spirit of “ordinary women doing extraordinary things” and will also include an uplifting closing anthem with lyrics co-written by Sherman and Campbell-Lowe.

Performances for the two-weekend run from August 1 -10 will be Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 3 pm. Tickets are  $30.00 and will be on sale beginning April 23 at www.theo-u.com.

LISTING INFORMATION

SENTINELS

A new play with music

WORLD PREMIERE

A co-production of CPA Theatricals (Larry Little, lead producer and Nicholas Reinhart, Assistant Producer) and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre

Written by Marilyn Campbell-Lowe, Music by Kim D. Sherman, Lyrics by Marilyn Campbell-Lowe and Kim D. Sherman

Story created for the stage by CPA Theatricals

Directed by Christopher Pazdernik

August 1 -10, 2025

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

Performances at Howard Street Theatre, 721 Howard Street, Evanston

Tickets $30.00, on sale April 23 at www.theo-u.com

We've all heard about the all-male "secret society" at Yale.  But, what if there was an all-female secret society that makes its home out of an abandoned dome room at a university in Milwaukee?  Since 1945, this group of brilliant, courageous college women have made it their goal to ensure women are at every table where important stuff happens. From their refuge overlooking the campus, they've been involved with such monumental events such as the first Black woman to star at the Met Opera, the election of the first female leader of a Muslim country, and the discovery of polio vaccine. This is their story. The Sentinels.

BIOS

Marilyn Campbell-Lowe (Author, Co-Lyricist) is a co-founder of both the Writers Theatre-New York and the Writers Theatre in Glencoe . She is also an Original Core Founder of New Classics Collective, (Paul Oakley Stovall, Artistic Director). Her co-adaptation with Curt Columbus of Dostoyevsky’s CRIME AND PUNISHMENT (Joseph Jefferson Award for New Adaptation) has enjoyed over 100 productions across the country and internationally from London, Greece and Hungary to Australia and Indonesia.  It has been produced at such distinguished US theaters as Berkeley Rep, Intiman Theater, 59E59th Street Theater, Cleveland Playhouse, Actors Theater of Louisville, Indiana Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Baltimore’s Center Stage, Trinity Rep, and numerous productions on the West Coast where in 2009 the play won an  L.A. Backstage Garland Award and a nomination from the L.A. Drama Critics Circle for Best New Adaptation.  Other plays include THE BEATS (based on the writings of the 1950 beat writers) first produced at Writers Theater in 1997, starring David Cromer and named one of the best productions of the 1997 Chicago theater season by the Chicago Sun-Times. Its revival in 2011 at 16th Street Theater was named one of the best shows of the season by Kelly Kleiman  of WBEZ radio. MY OWN STRANGER a co-adaptation with Linda Laundra, based on the writings of Pulitzer Prize winning poet Anne Sexton, was first produced off Broadway in 1981 and won a Villager Downtown Theater Award for “Best Production.”

Kim D. Sherman (Music, Co-Lyricist) composes for the theater, opera, the concert stage, and film. Her music-theater works include LOVE’S COMEDY (a chamber opera based on the play by Henrik Ibsen with libretto by Rick Davis,) and several musicals, among them: HEARTLAND (book and lyrics by Darrah Cloud) O PIONEERS! (book and lyrics by Darrah Cloud) HONOR SONG FOR CRAZY HORSE (book and lyrics by Darrah Cloud) and THE TWO ORPHANS (book by Theresa Rebeck and lyrics by Theresa Rebeck and John Sheehy) On Broadway, she wrote incidental music for Paul Rudnick’s hilarious play I HATE HAMLET. She has written incidental music for many plays in regional theaters throughout the United States. Her many  compositions for piano, solo vocalists, choruses, and chamber music can be found at www.kdsherman.com/bio.

Christopher Pazdernik (any, Director) is a Jeff Award winning director and producer who has been active in Chicago theatre since 2007. Described as having “a near encyclopedic knowledge of musicals,” they were recently named to New City Stage’s Players 2024: The Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago. In addition to their creative pursuits, Christopher has held staff positions at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Porchlight Music Theatre, Refuge Theatre Project, and most recently, Producing Director at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. An openly HIV+ artist, Christopher is also active in AIDS advocacy work, producing the annual benefit concert ‘Belting for Life,’ leading a team at AIDS Run/Walk Chicago, and volunteering on committees with both AIDS Foundation Chicago and Howard Brown Health. He is currently the Managing Director for Season of Concern.

CAST BIOS

Joryhebel Ginorio (she/her, Katie) THEO: THE SECRET GARDEN (Jeff Nomination in a Principal Role). CHICAGO: ARTHUR (Marriott Theatre), 9 to 5 (Metropolis), SNOW QUEEN (Marriott Theatre). As a proud Boricua, Joryhebel is passionate about honoring her Latinae community through everything she does. She feels beyond blessed to be doing what she loves most with the support of God, her family, friends, Elliot, the Gray Talent Group family, and of course, her sweet pup Matcha. ¡Wepa! IG: @joryhebelginorio

Maliha Sayed (she/her, Elizabeth) is excited to be returning to Theo alongside CPA! CHICAGO: CAROUSEL (Julie Jordan) at Music Theater Works, THE SONDHEIM TRIBUTE REVUE (Principal) and THE SECRET GARDEN (Ayah; u/s Lily/Rose) at Theo Ubique, DHABA ON DEVON AVENUE (u/s Rita/Sindhu) at Writers Theatre, A LIE OF THE MIND (u/s Beth) at Raven Theatre, ARABIA, ARABIA! (Narrator) with The Plagiarists. REGIONAL: POLKADOTS: THE COOL KIDS MUSICAL (Lily Polkadot) at Constellation Stage. TV: DELI BOYS (Amina) on Hulu. malihasayed.com

Sophia Dennis (she/her, Grace) is honored to be a part of SENTINELS at Theo! Sophia moved to Chicago from bright and sunny Cleveland, Ohio to earn her BFA in Musical Theatre from CCPA at Roosevelt University (2021). Her recent Chicago credits include SCARY TOWN (Trixie/ Betsey Bunny, HIAHB),  LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Audrey, Beverly Arts Center), and THE POLAR EXPRESS (Steward, Chicago Union Station). Represented by Big Mouth Talent. Instagram: @sophioph

Arwen-Vira Marsh (she/her, Ashley)! Recent credits: ARTHUR & FRIENDS MAKE A MUSICAL! (Muffy, Marriott Theatre), ANTIGONE (Antigone, Wirtz Center), and FEBRUARY HOUSE (Gypsy Rose Lee, Wirtz). NYC-born and story-obsessed, she has a soft spot for characters like Ashley—sharp-tongued, big-hearted, and always in just a bit over their head! More at arwenviramarsh.com & @hazykiid. Ashay!

Dani Pike (she/her, Maeve). Dani was born and raised in Houston, Texas and received her BFA in Acting and minor in directing from Oklahoma City University. Chicago credits include Emma in TELL ME ON A SUNDAY (Theo Ubique), Sherrie in ROCK OF AGES (Metropolis),  Casey in FIRST DATE (Oil Lamp), Fiona in SHREK THE MUSICAL (Music Theater Works), Audrey in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Citadel). Dani is beyond grateful for her extraordinary support system. Represented by Talent x Alexander. danipike.com // @danipike77

Anne Sheridan Smith (she/they, President Sureham) is thrilled to help introduce this new play. She recently workshopped a new musical with Court Theatre and appeared as Titus in TITUS ANDRONICUS (Redtwist). Other credits: LONDON ROAD (Shattered Globe) THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS (Theo, Jeff Nomination); ONCE UPON A MATTRESS (Theo, Jeff Nomination); and SOUTHERN GOTHIC (Windy City Playhouse). This fall, she returns to understudy A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Goodman Theatre.

ABOUT CPA THEATRICALS, INC. 

Creative Productions and Theatricals is a non-profit corporation, founded by Larry Little in 2002. Our shows have been performed hundreds of times all over the world. A major focus of our shows has been to feature female performers, writers, and characters.  Our shows include 57th NATIONAL MATHLETE SUM-IT, which premiered Off Broadway at the New York Musical Festival and was subsequently licensed by Theatrical Rights Worldwide; THE LAND OF FORGOTTEN TOYS, GIRLHOOD, THE MYSTERY OF CUSTODIA; and MILEY CHASE THE SCIENCE ACE, now licensed by Broadway Licensing. Shows in development include THE MOMENT and SENTINELS. The Leadership Team of CPA Theatricals includes Timothy O’Connell (Associate Producer), Julie Bossidy (Associate Producer), Nicholas Reinhart (Assistant Producer), and Sarah Wilkinson (Assistant Producer).  Also collaborating in pursuing our mission is LCG Entertainment, LLC.

ABOUT THEO UBIQUE CABARET THEATRE
Theo was founded in 1997 by Fred Anzevino, who passed away this past April. Productions were first staged at the Heartland Studio Theatre, and from 2004 to May 2018, at No Exit Café, where the company began focusing on musicals and revues, reigniting the cabaret theatre trend in Chicago. The  company moved to the Howard Street Theatre, a venue owned and developed for Theo by the City of Evanston, in fall of 2018. Theo has produced more than 60 shows and won 68 Jeff Awards, having received nearly 200 nominations. Learn more at www.theo-u.com.

Following an acclaimed run at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and NY City Center in New York, AVA: The Secret Conversations, written by and starring Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy Award-nominated actress and Evanston native Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey, Ordinary People, Once Upon a Time in America), will make its Chicago premiere this this fall. Based on a series of real-life interviews given by Hollywood legend Ava Gardner, the production is directed by Tony Award nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel (Broadway: Hand to God, Present Laughter), produced by Karl Sydow (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, UK: The Last Ship, UK: Noises Off), also features Aaron Costa Ganis (TV: "Bull," "Blue Bloods"). Step inside the world of the play with this look at McGovern as Ava Gardner.

AVA: The Secret Conversations runs September 24 – October 12, 2025 at the historic Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building (410 S Michigan Ave). 

Tickets go on sale June 19, 2025 at www.AvaGardnerPlay.com.
Sign-up for email alerts at https://avagardnerplay.com/chicago/ to receive the Chicago presale code to access prime seat locations before the general public.
 

At the height of the Golden Age of Cinema, starlet Ava Gardner sat for a series of interviews with writer Peter Evans for him to glean the juicy details about her life story, her marriages to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra, and her turbulent relationship to Howard Hughes. Initially barred from publication, Evans' account of a bygone era was published twenty-five years later with permission from Gardner's estate and is now reimagined on stage.

"I am beyond thrilled to bring Ava: The Secret Conversations to Chicago," McGovern commented. "Gardner's life was one of incredible complexity, and I feel so privileged to step into her world and share her story onstage in my original hometown this fall."

AVA: The Secret Conversations marks McGovern's return to the Chicago area, where she previously filmed Robert Redford's Oscar-winning film "Ordinary People." Best known for her role as Lady Cora in the "Downton Abbey" series and films, McGovern will be seen this fall on screen in the sequel, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. She also stars in Anne Rice's "The Talamasca" on AMC this fall.
 
The creative team includes David Meyer (scenic design), Toni-Leslie James (costume design), Amith Chandrashaker (lighting design), Cricket S. Myers (sound design), Alex Basco Koch (projection design), and Matthew Armentrout (wig design). The Production Stage Manager is Avery Trunko. General management is by Pemberley Productions.

About the Artists

Elizabeth McGovern (Ava Gardner, Playwright). Elizabeth McGovern's internationally renowned career spans theatre, film, television, and music. In 2019, Elizabeth played Lady Cora in the feature film adaptation of the multiple award-winning television show "Downton Abbey," a role for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy and won a SAG Award. We then saw Elizabeth reprising her role of Lady Cora on the big screen in the sequel Downton Abbey 2, starring alongside Maggie Smith and Hugh Bonneville. Elizabeth received an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination for her role in Ragtime, her second feature film, following her debut in Robert Redford's Ordinary People while still a student at Julliard. She has worked with John Hughes in She's Having a Baby, Curtis Hanson in The Bedroom Window, and Steven Soderbergh in King of the Hill. Other major film roles have included starring opposite Robert De Niro in Once Upon a Time in America and Sean Penn and Nicolas Cage in Racing with the Moon. In 2018, Elizabeth worked on The Commuter with Liam Neeson and later starred in Michael Engler's The Chaperone which Elizabeth also produced. Elizabeth has performed in both American and UK theatres, winning the 2013 Will Award from the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Other notable productions include Alexi Kaye Campbell's Sunset at the Villa Thalia, Lindsay Posner's God of Carnage last year in Bath, The Misanthrope at the Young Vic, Three Days of Rain at the Donmar and David Mamet's The Shawl at the Arcola Theatre. 2017 saw her return to Broadway in J.B. Priestley's Time and the Conways. Elizabeth also recently appeared in the West End premiere of Kenneth Lonergan's The Starry Messenger with Matthew Broderick. Elizabeth was most recently seen on the stage, writing and starring in her own adaptation of Peter Evans' memoir of the same name, AVA: The Secret Conversations. This wonderful production was also reprised earlier this year at the Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles. Last year, Elizabeth was seen on the big screen in And Mrs. alongside Harriet Walter and Aisling Bea. Elizabeth will next be seen reprising her role as Lady Cora in Downton Abbey 3. We will also see her star in Anne Rice's TV adaptation "The Talamasca" as Helen. With her band, Sadie and the Hotheads, Elizabeth has released four albums through Universal Music, and there is a fifth album pending, tentatively titled "Let's Stop Fighting."
 
Aaron Costa Ganis (Peter Evans) is an actor, writer, and director who has worked theatrically at the Roundabout Theatre Company, LAByrinth, Second Stage Theater, The Public Theater, Williamstown, the Geffen and Pasadena Playhouse. He currently recurs on "Power Book III: Raising Kanan," and can recently be seen on TV in "Fantasy Island," "The Endgame," "Bull," "Almost Family," "Blue Bloods," "Jessica Jones, House of Cards," and more. He can be seen in the upcoming Untitled Steven Spielberg Film for Universal and previously in the films Susie Searches, The Noel Diary, Lazy Eye, Monsters and Men, and Set It Up. Aaron dedicates this show to June and Rick, his mom and dad. MFA: NYU Graduate Acting Program, BA: Brandeis University & University of Oxford. 
 
Moritz von Stuelpnagel (Director). Broadway: Theresa Rebeck's I Need That starring Danny DeVito, Theresa Rebeck's Bernhardt/Hamlet starring Janet McTeer, Noël Coward's Present Laughter starring Kevin Kline (Tony nomination for Best Revival), Rob Askins' Hand to God (Tony nominations for Best Play and Best Director). London's West End: Theresa Rebeck's Mad House starring David Harbour and Bill Pullman, Hand to God (Olivier nomination for Best New Comedy). Off-Broadway: Theresa Rebeck's Seared (MCC Theater); Larissa FastHorse's The Thanksgiving Play (Playwrights Horizons); Mike Lew's Teenage Dick (Ma-Yi Theater Company/The Public Theater); Nick Jones' Important Hats of the Twentieth Century (Manhattan Theatre Club); Nick Jones' Verité (LCT3); Mike Lew's Bike America (Ma-Yi Theater Company); Nick Jones' Trevor (Lesser America); Rob Askins' Love Song of the Albanian Sous Chef (Ensemble Studio Theatre); Mel & El: Show and Tell (Ars Nova); Michael Mitnick's Spacebar: A Broadway Play by Kyle Sugarman and Adam Szymkowicz's My Base and Scurvy Heart(Studio 42). Regional: Williamstown Theatre Festival, The Huntington, Alliance Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Olney Theatre Center, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, South Coast Repertory, Barrington Stage Company, Chautauqua Theater Company, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, and more. Upcoming: a nationwide tour of Westwood's own Michael Shayan in his smash hit play avaaz. Moritz is the former artistic director of Studio 42, NYC's producer of "unproducible" plays. www.moritzvs.com
 
Karl Sydow (Producer) produced Sting's The Last Ship at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles and at the Golden Gate Theatre in San Francisco in 2020, at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto in 2019, following a 2018 tour of the UK and Ireland. Recent theatre includes Noises Off (Lyric Hammersmith, Garrick Theatre West End), The Light in the Piazza (Royal Festival Hall, LA Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago); Toast (West End, UK tour); Sweat (Gielgud Theatre West End, Evening Standard Award Best Play); Valued Friends (Rose Theatre Kingston); Invisible Cities with 59 Productions (Manchester International Festival, Brisbane Festival, Australia); Alan Ayckbourn's The Divide with The Old Vic and Edinburgh International Festival; David Hare's The Moderate Soprano at the Duke of York's Theatre; Sketching by James Graham at Wilton's Music Hall; as well as Red Joan, a film featuring Dame Judi Dench which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. In North America, he has produced Broadway productions of The Seagull with Carey Mulligan, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Peter Sarsgaard, and American Buffalo with John Leguizamo; Backbeat directed by David Leveaux (Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles); international tours including The Last Confession with David Suchet, and Our Country's Good (the original Tony-nominated Broadway production and Out of Joint's revival in the West End and Toronto).

FACT SHEET

Title: AVA: The Secret Conversations

Written by: Elizabeth McGovern

Directed by: Moritz von Stuelpnagel

Produced by: Karl Sydow

Featuring: Elizabeth McGovern as Ava Gardner and Aaron Costa Ganis as Peter Evans.

Creative Team: David Meyer (scenic design), Toni-Leslie James (costume design), Amith Chandrashaker (lighting design), Cricket S. Myers (sound design), Alex Basco Koch (projection design), and Matthew Armentrout (wig design). The Production Stage Manager is Avery Trunko. General management is by Pemberley Productions.

Run Dates: September 24 – October 12, 2025

Press Opening: Saturday, September 27, 2025

Schedule: Tuesday through Saturday at 7pm; Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2pm

No performances on Thursday, September 25 or Thursday, October 2. No matinee performance on Wednesday September 24.

Location: The Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building, 410 S, Michigan Ave, Chicago.

Box Office: Online at www.fineartsbuilding.com or by phone at (312) 753-3210 x102

Ticket Prices: $40 - $170

Students: $30

Groups: $60

Website: www.AvaGardnerPlay.com

Social Media: Find us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and X at @AvaGardnerPlay

Trailer: https://youtu.be/6ZmMhM2uqbc 

Kokandy Productions invites you to spend the summer in Paris (Montmartre, to be exact), as it kicks off its 2025 Season with the Chicago premiere of Amélie, the charming tale of young woman and the fantastical world of whimsy and romance that surrounds her. Amélie will play July 17 – September 28, 2025 in the Chopin Downstairs Studio, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. The entire Chopin basement, including the lobby, bar and cafe, will envelop audiences in Amélie's journey. Tickets are currently on sale at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/AmelieChicago. The press opening is Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 7 pm.

Based on the 2001 film of the same name, Amélie is directed by Artistic Director Derek Van Barham, with music direction by T.J. Anderson and Anna Wegener, book by Craig Lucas, music by Daniel Messé and lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Daniel Messé.

The Chicago premiere of this whimsical romance will be led by Aurora Penepacker as Amélie Poulain. The eccentric world that swirls around her includes Todd Aulwurm (Hipolito Jeunet, Elton John), Lucas Burr (Blind Beggar), Rachel Carreras (Amandine Poulain, Philomene de Noirpois), Sonia Goldberg (Gina Wells), Sam Hook (Lucien Villeparisis), Mizha Lee Overn (Georgette Cornuel, Sylvie Legrandin), Jon Patrick Penick (Collignon, Julien Dufayel), Quinn Rigg (Joseph Cottard, Fluffy Poulain), Samantha Ringor (Suzanne Sacripant), Kelan M. Smith (Raphael Poulain, Bretodeau) and Peter Stielstra (Nino Quincampoix). This talented ensemble will also portray a range of Parisians, tourists, customers and reporters who frequent the streets, cafes, sex shops and photo booths of Montmartre. Swings include Joel Arreola, Hailey Brisard, Elliot Esquivel, Neill Kelly, Andrew Lund and Melanie Vitaterna. 

About the Production:

Amélie is an extraordinary young woman who lives quietly in the world but loudly in her mind. She covertly improvises small but surprising acts of kindness that bring joy and mayhem. But when a chance at love comes her way, Amélie realizes that to find happiness she'll have to risk everything and say what's in her heart. Be inspired by this imaginative dreamer who finds her voice, discovers the power of connection, and sees possibility around every corner.

Director Derek Van Barham comments, "Get ready to fall head over heels for this charming jewel box of a musical! The world of this show is just so much fun, and so perfect for our eccentric and idiosyncratic space. Amélie Poulain reminds us to focus on goodness and to look for love wherever we can. Whether a fan of the beloved cult movie or coming to this whimsical tale for the first time, there's something tasty, touching and tantalizing for everyone in this wild and whimsical show." 

The production team includes G "Max" Maxin IV (Lighting Design), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), Matt Reich (Sound Design), Syd Genco (Make-up Design), Keith Ryan (Wig Design), Kirsten Baity (Intimacy Coordinator), Carrie Hardin (Dialect Coach), Quinn Simmons (Associate Choreographer), Nicholas Reinhart (Production Manager), Lynsy Folckomer (Sound Engineer), Kendyl Meyer (Stage Manager) and Ethan Colish (Assistant Stage Manager).

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: Amélie

Book by Craig Lucas

Music by Daniel Messé

Lyrics by Nathan Tysen & Daniel Messé

Directed by Artistic Director Derek Van Barham

Music Direction by T.J. Anderson and Anna Wegener

Cast (in alphabetical order): Todd Aulwurm (Hipolito Jeunet, Elton John), Lucas Burr (Blind Beggar), Rachel Carreras (Amandine Poulain, Philomene de Noirpois), Sonia Goldberg (Gina Wells), Sam Hook (Lucien Villeparisis), Mizha Lee Overn (Georgette Cornuel, Sylvie Legrandin), Aurora Penepacker (Amélie Poulain), Jon Patrick Penick (Collignon, Julien Dufayel), Quinn Rigg (Joseph Cottard, Fluffy Poulain), Samantha Ringor (Suzanne Sacripant), Kelan M. Smith (Raphael Poulain, Bretodeau) and Peter Stielstra (Nino Quincampoix).

Swings: Joel Arreola, Hailey Brisard, Elliot Esquivel, Neill Kelly, Andrew Lund and Melanie Vitaterna. 

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

Dates: Previews: Thursday, July 17 – Friday, August 1, 2025

Regular run: Sunday, August 3 – Sunday, September 28, 2025

Curtain Times: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 pm; Sundays at 5 pm.

Tickets: Previews $25 general admission, $33 reserved seating. Regular run $45 general admission, $55 reserved seating. Students/Seniors $35. There will be a limited number of $15 tickets (with code ARTIST) available to artists for each performance. Tickets are currently on sale at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/AmelieChicago.

About the Artists

Derek Van Barham (Director/Choreographer, he/him) is the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions. Directing credits include Children of Eden in Concert (Broadway In Chicago), Into the Woods, Alice by Heart, Sweeney Todd, American Psycho, Head Over Heels (3 Jeff Awards and 2 Jeff nominations, Kokandy); Spring Awakening (Flint Rep); The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre); Miracle by Dan Savage, Poseidon (Hell in a Handbag). Choreography credits include Evil Dead (Jeff nomination), Ghost Quartet, Shockheaded Peter and Coraline the Musical (Black Button Eyes). He was previously named one of Windy City Times' 30 Under 30, and one of Newcity Magazine's 50 Players 2024. MFA: CCPA/Roosevelt University. | derekvanbarham.com | IG @dvbarham

T.J. Anderson (Music Director, he/him) is a Chicago-based actor, music director and musician. Recent productions he has music directed include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ragtime in Concert and Kinky Boots (Highland Park Players); Little Women and [title of show] (Brown Paper Box Co); Night Tide (Towle Theater); and Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes Productions). As an actor, he recently appeared in Whisper House and Ghost Quartet (Black Button Eyes Productions); as well as Haymarket (Underscore Theater). He would like to thank all his friends, family, and you, kind audience member, for supporting live theater! 

Anna Wegener (Music Director, she/her) returns to Kokandy after last season's Alice By Heart as Associate Music Director/Conductor. She is a performer and educator in the Chicago area, often acting as orchestrator and sound designer. Recently, she music directed, orchestrated and conducted Into the Woods with CCPA/Roosevelt University, directed by Heather Currie. Last summer, she joined Chicago Musical Theater Festival with Eric Matthew Richardson's ei hytte (the cabin): an a capella musical, directed by Noah Watkins, as well as performing with the band for The Brass Teapot: A New Musical, words and music by Chaz Cardigan and directed by Landree Fleming. Other notable shows as music director and conductor: Young Frankenstein (Wheaton Drama, Lou Nomination), Sleeping With Beauty (Pride Arts), Assassins (Wee Productions), Xanadu! (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre). A proud collaborator, Anna plays piano throughout the year in musical pits, alongside school choirs, and for cabarets and auditions while maintaining a studio of over 25 students with Piano Power. www.88keysacc.com | IG @88keysacc

Quinn Simmons (Associate Choreographer, they/he/she) is a Chicago-based musical theatre performer and choreographer. Recent choreography credits include 9 to 5 and Rock of Ages (Metropolis, Associate Choreographer). Recently onstage: Spring Awakening (Flint Repertory), The SpongeBob Musical and American Psycho (Kokandy), You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (Marriott), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Godspell (Theo Ubique). Quinn is a proud Filipino-American, a graduate of Chicago College of Performing Arts' (BFA Musical Theatre) and a 2024 Windy City Times 30 Under 30 honoree. Huge thanks to my family, always. Mahal ko kayo!

About Kokandy Productions

Founded in 2010, Kokandy Productions seeks to leverage the heightened reality of musical theatre to tell complex and challenging stories, with a focus on contributing to the development of Chicago-based musical theatre artists, and raising the profile of Chicago's non-Equity musical theatre community.

The company's artistic staff is comprised of Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director), Scot T. Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Adrian Abel Azevedo & Leda Hoffman (Artistic Associates). The Board of Directors includes Preston Cropp, Scot T. Kokandy, Danielle Sparklin and Katie Svaicer. 

For additional information, visit www.kokandyproductions.com. 

The Den Theatre today announced upcoming July 2025 shows at the theatre's Wicker Park stages at 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave., including Sammy Obeid July 5 - 6; Martin Amini July 10 - 12; An Evening With Masood Boomgaard & Self-Help Singh on July 13; Jane Wickline & Liva Pierce Present: "Dukes" on July 15; and Gaspare Randazzo on July 31. Tickets are now on sale at www.thedentheatre.com or by calling (773) 697-3830. 

Sammy Obeid

Saturday, July 5, 2025 at 6:45 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Sunday, July 6, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.

Tickets: $31 - $65

Lebanese-Palestinian American comedian Sammy Obeid was born in Oakland, California, and double majored in business and mathematics at UC Berkeley before turning down a job at Google to pursue stand-up comedy.

Now the host of 100 Humans on Netflix, Obeid has also appeared on NBC's Last Comic Standing and America's Got Talent, as well as Conan on TBS. He is best known for his world record of performing comedy 1,001 nights in a row—a feat featured in both Time magazine and The New York Times.

Martin Amini

Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 7:15 p.m.

Friday, July 11, 2025 at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Tickets: $35 General Admission

Martin Amini is a stand-up comic based in Los Angeles and born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. Amini draws comedic inspiration from his diverse heritage, crafting a unique blend of humor that resonates universally. Growing up with an Iranian father and a Bolivian mother, Amini's multicultural background provides rich material for his stand-up routines, creating an engaging comedic experience.

In addition to exploring his heritage, Amini infuses his comedy with insights from his own experiences of marriage, offering hilarious commentary on relationships that audiences can personally relate to. Moreover, Amini occasionally plays matchmaker on stage, helping audience members find love amidst the laughter.

Beyond his work on stage, Amini is also the founder of Room 808, a vibrant comedy club run by comedians located in Washington, D.C. He is currently embarking on a three-continent tour, showcasing his distinctive brand of comedy to audiences worldwide.

An Evening With Masood Boomgaard & Self-Help Singh

Sunday, July 13, 2025 at 7:15 p.m.

Tickets: $22 - $45

South African comedian Masood Boomgaard returns to the United States with his brand-new live experience, "An Evening with Masood Boomgaard and Self-Help Singh"—a unique double dose of hilarity, wisdom and wonderfully unapologetic real talk.

Best known as the mind behind the viral sensation Self-Help Singh, Boomgaard has built a cult following around the world with his deadpan delivery, mock-spiritual guidance and soul-crushingly honest advice. The Self-Help Singh character is a satirical take on the over-saturated self-help industry, offering painfully funny truths instead of feel-good fluff. Think Deepak Chopra—if he had zero interest in your success.

Now, in this new two-in-one comedy experience, fans will get more than just the Singh persona. For the first time on a U.S. stage, audiences will also meet the real Masood Boomgaard—comedian, world traveler and the man behind the madness. Boomgaard pulls back the curtain to share stories from his life, his upbringing in South Africa and his journey performing stand-up across more than 20 countries. Expect sharp insights, hilarious cultural commentary and behind-the-scenes tales from a career built on turning awkward truths into comedy gold.

This is more than a comedy show—it's a demotivational awakening with a deeply personal twist.

Whether you're a long-time disciple of Self-Help Singh or just someone who enjoys a good laugh at the absurdity of life, An Evening with Masood Boomgaard and Self-Help Singh promises a night of enlightenment, entertainment and existential despair—in the best way possible.

Jane Wickline & Liva Pierce Present: "Dukes"

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 7:15 p.m.

Tickets: $22 - $40

Following a sold-out DUKES mini-tour and Jane's Saturday Night Live debut, comedians Liva Pierce and Jane Wickline are returning to the stage together. Original sketches, songs and special guests... it's something completely new.

Jane Wickline and Liva Pierce, known together as DUKES, are a sketch comedy duo based in Brooklyn, New York. Wickline got her start on TikTok, amassing more than a million followers and starring in Stapleview's original sketch series. She joined the cast of Saturday Night Live for its 50th season and has already had several of her "Weekend Update" bits go viral.

Pierce has performed stand-up, improv and sketch across the country and recently made their off-Broadway debut as part of Ars Nova's ANT Fest. After training at The Second City in Chicago, Pierce moved to New York, where the duo founded DUKES.

Gaspare Randazzo

Thursday, July 31, 2025 at 7:15 p.m.

Tickets: $22 - $40

Gaspare Randazzo is a New York City high school teacher in his 13th year in the classroom. When he's not teaching, Randazzo tours the country performing stand-up comedy, sharing stories about life as an educator and his experiences with students from all walks of life.

In addition to teaching and comedy, Randazzo recently starred in the Netflix show The Trust and co-hosts The Social Studies Podcast alongside Joe Dombrowski. He is active on all social media platforms under the handle @StandUpRandazzo.

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, concludes its 2024/25 Season with Madhuri Shekar's Dhaba on Devon Avenue, directed by Chay Yew. Dhaba on Devon Avenue will run June 19-July 27, 2025 in the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. The Press Opening is Friday, June 27, 2025 at 7:30pm. 

Tickets are on sale at Writers Theatre at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org.  

Dhaba Canteen has been a stalwart institution on Chicago's Devon Avenue since the '80s, serving up delicious Sindhi food with the power to transport diners back to the halcyon days of undivided India. Times are changing, however. With the bank threatening foreclosure and Chef Neeraj's health in decline, the restaurant may soon be cooking up its last meal—unless sous chef Rita can convince her father to let her take over the kitchen. Rich with culinary tradition and dramatic twists, Dhaba on Devon Avenue serves up a searing Chicago-set story of family, legacy, and survival at all costs. 

Dhaba on Devon Avenue is produced in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director PJ Powers and Executive Director Mica Cole.

"Writers Theatre is honored to join forces with TimeLine Theatre Company, an organization whose dedication to illuminating history through imaginative storytelling perfectly aligns with our own artistic values. This collaboration feels like a natural extension of both our missions," said Writers Theatre Artistic Director Braden Abraham. "Madhuri Shekar's vibrant new work invites audiences into the heart of Chicago's Indian community, where tradition and innovation collide in a deeply personal exploration of cultural heritage. Both funny and scathingly direct, Madhuri's timely play explores the complexities of allegiance, independence, and what it truly means to belong."

"TimeLine is thrilled to partner with Writers Theatre, an organization that we've greatly admired throughout our history, not only for its mission but also its commitment to audience engagement and uplifting the esteemed artists who work on stage and behind the scenes," said TimeLine Theatre Artistic Director PJ Powers. "It's an honor to collaborate with them and director Chay Yew to bring to life Madhuri Shekar's play. Delving into the rich history of Chicago's famed Devon Avenue and Indian cuisine, this world premiere is a wonderful marriage between TimeLine and Writers, coalescing our missions and artistic aesthetics, as we present this heart-stirring and timely story about identity, culture, and legacy."

The cast is: Isa Arciniegas (Luz Fuentes), Arya Daire (Sindhu Madhwani), Kamal Hans (Adil Jaisinghani), Anish Jethmalani (Neeraj Madhwani), and Tina Muñoz Pandya (Rita Madhwani).

The creative team includes: Chay Yew (Director), Lauren M. Nichols (Scenic Designer), Christine Pascual (Costume Designer), Christine A. Binder (Lighting Designer), Eric Backus (Sound Designer), Kristina Fluty (Intimacy Director), and Karina Patel (Dramaturg). The stage manager is Katie Klemme and the assistant stage manager is Alexis Wiley.

Fact Sheet / Dhaba on Devon Avenue

The World Premiere of

Dhaba on Devon Avenue 

Produced by Writers Theatre in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company

Written by: Madhuri Shekar 

Directed by: Chay Yew 

Cast: Anish Jethmalani (Neeraj), Arya Daire (Sindhu), Isa Arciniegas (Luz), Kamal Hans (Adil Jaisinghani), and Tina Muñoz Pandya (Rita)

Creative Team: Chay Yew (Director), Lauren M. Nichols (Scenic Designer), Christine Pascual (Costume Designer), Christine A. Binder (Lighting Designer), Eric Backus (Sound Designer), Kristina Fluty (Intimacy Director), and Karina Patel (Dramaturg). The stage manager is Katie Klemme and the assistant stage manager is Alexis Wiley

Dates: First performance: June 19, 2025

Press opening: Friday, June 27, at 7:30pm 

Closing performance: July 27, 2025

Performance Schedule:

Wednesdays: 3:00pm (July 2 & 16 only) and 7:30pm
Thursdays: 7:30pm 

Fridays: 7:30pm
Saturdays: 3:00pm (except June 21) and 7:30pm
Sundays: 2:00pm and 6:00pm (June 29 & July 13 only)

Open Captioned Performance: Thursday, July 10 at 7:30pm
ASL-Interpreted Performance: Saturday, July 19 at 3:00pm

Location: Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe

Prices: $35-$95

Discounts are available for students, educators, theater industry professionlas, active military personnel, veterans, police officers, firefighters, and their immediate families. Information is available at: https://www.writerstheatre.org/plan-your-visit/box-office-and-theatre-center/pricing--special-offers

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe; 847-242-6000; www.writerstheatre.org

NOTES OF INTEREST:

• This World Premiere production Dhaba on Devon Avenue is produced in partnership with TimeLine Theatre Company.
• Playwright Madhuri Shekar is the 2020 winner of the Lanford Wilson Playwrighting Award, established by the Estate of Lanford Wilson and presented by the Dramatists Guild Council to a dramatist based primarily on their work as an early career playwright. Her play A Nice Indian Boy was adapted into a feature film and is now playing in theaters to great critical acclaim. 
• Director Chay Yew returns to Writers Theatre where he previously directed Dishwasher Dreams. In May 2025, Yew was highlighted by the Stage Directors and Choreographers Union as one of the 65 directors and choreographers whose "work has inspired SDC Members and transformed the American theatre."
• Dhaba on Devon Avenue is inspired by Chicago's South Asian community, the third largest population of South Asians in the country. The play takes place on Devon Avenue on the far north side of Chicago, an area renowned for its remarkable diversity, and a magnet for immigrants as they settle in to life in America.
• Madhuri Shekar has said that Dhaba on Devon Avenue is "my ode to the quiet heroism and daily struggles that are required to be an artist, an entrepreneur, an immigrant, and a parent." 
• The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the intended 2020 world premiere production of Dhaba on Devon Avenue at Victory Gardens in Chicago, and a second time at Writers Theatre in 2021. This Writers Theatre and TimeLine co-production now reunites many of those original cast members and designers.

DHABA ON DEVON EVENTS

South Asian Community Night 

Friday, July 11 at 6pm 

Members of the South Asian community are invited to Writers Theatre for an evening of good food, great company, and outstanding theatre! Join us for a pre-show reception and exclusive post-show discussion with members of the creative team. Enjoy happy hour specials at the WT bar and food for purchase from Highland Park's top-rated restaurant Indus.  

Family Matinee 

Saturday, July 12 at 3pm 

Parents and caregivers can see the 3pm matinee of the production and drop their young ones off for an imaginative afternoon at a special onsite theatre class with Writers Theatre Education's expert teaching artists.

The Restaurant Generation: South Asian cuisine and the immigrant story 

In association with TimeLine Theatre's Sunday Scholars program 

Sunday, July 20 at 12pm 

Join local experts for a discussion of the importance of the food industry to new arrivals and the evolution of South Asian flavors in America. 

The Final Word Audience Discussion 

Sunday, July 27 at 12pm 

Join Writers Theatre Artistic staff and fellow audience members for a conversation about the themes and production elements of the show. 

Glencoe Al Fresco 

It's too nice to eat inside! Writers Theatre, the Village of Glencoe and Glencoe Public Library invite you to WLC park for food trucks, happy hour specials, live bands and activities for the whole family on Friday nights in July. 

Upcoming Education & Engagement Programs 

Wake Up Words Family Playtime 

Sunday, June 8 at 11am

Stories jump off the page on select Sunday mornings at Writers Theatre. Each Playtime pairs a favorite story with another art form and is a unique opportunity for young children and their families to create together. Designed for ages 3-6 and their parents/caregivers, siblings welcome.  

Show & Tell Storytelling: True Colors

Tuesday, June 10 at 7pm 

Enjoy an engaging evening of storytelling at our monthly Show & Tell series. Each event features talented professional storytellers and celebrates unique themes in a relaxed environment. In June, celebrate Pride Month at True Colors, an evening of stories celebrating the queer experience. Tickets are Pay What You Can. 

The Opera Festival of Chicago announces the cast and creative team for Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo, directed by Sasha Gerritson, conducted by Uff. Emanuele Andrizzi with a cast of more than 50 performers and a 40-piece orchestra. Performances are Friday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 29 at 2 p.m. at the George Van Dusen Theatre, North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie. Single tickets are $25 - $50 with subscriptions available at OperaFestivalChicago.org. 

The 2025 season concludes with one of the pillars of Italian opera and one of the most passionate dramas of all times, Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo. Sung in Italian, Pagliacci follows the story of a troupe of actors led by Canio and his unfaithful wife Nedda and features the famous aria “Vesti la giubba.” Love triangles, heartbreaks, betrayal and violent verismo vendettas erupt on stage, where art imitates life in this tragic masterpiece

In addition to Pagliacci, the Opera Festival of Chicago continues with its Young Artists program performing a delicious program featuring songs inspired by food in opera, Delicatessen Recital, June 5.  The Opera Festival of Chicago's leading artists will then appear in concert for Love is a Triangle, June 14.

“The Chicago Opera Festival began this May with the incredible and rarely performedThe Love of Three Kings (L’Amore dei tre Re) and continues into June with more must see productions,” said General Director Sasha Gerritson. “All of us look forward to welcoming audiences to three different locations for three very special performances as we celebrate opera inspired by food, a concert embracing our 2025 theme of “Love is a Triangle” and concluding with one of the standards of opera - Pagliacci.”

The cast of Pagliacci includes Michelle Allie Drever (Nedda); Jonathan Burton (Canio); Franco Pomponi (Tonio); Jeref Fernandez (Peppe) and Jonathan Wilson (Silvio).

In addition, there will be a chorus including Floriana Bivona; Lizzie Broeker; Benjamin Burney; Melanie Budreck; Winifer Castaneda; Jorie Clark; Brooke Craig; Ryan Daly; Jade Dasha; Katrina Dubbs; Angela DeVenuto; Theresa Egan; David Green; Abigail Greer Arcamona; CeCe Hastreiter; Cameo Humes; Lauren Ingebrigtsen (COVER Nedda); Marina Karimi; Jess Koehn; Alexis Langlois; Ally Lewkowski; Joseph Lodato (COVER Tonio) Cary Lovett; Samantha McGonigal, Margaret Meierhenry; Gisella Milla; Lauryn Nelson, Chiemerie Obianom; Jennifer Parr; Brian Pember; Leo Radosavljevic; Dominic Martin Reyes; Sierra Shoemaker; Pamela Spann; Diana Stoic; Meg Thomas-Cary; Daniel Uglunts; Jose Vargas Ramirez; Carmen Vizin; Vince Wallace; Eric Wassenaar (COVER Pepe) and Kevin Wheatle.

Alan Glassman is the external cover for the role of “Canio.”

Finally, the children’s chorus includes Leah Born; Rachel Born; Ella McCarty; Sarah Winger; Emily Laginess; Rae Hill; Eliza Hinton and Riley Tone.

The creative team for Pagliacci includes Uff. Emanuele Andrizzi (conductor); Sasha Gerritson (director/supertitle design); Richard Robbins (chorus master); Catherine O’Shaunessy (assistant conductor); Darren Brown (production manager); Bill Morey  (costume designer); Erzebet Schneider (costumes supervisor); Shane Cinal (set designer); Mike Goebel (lighting designer); Mary Mazurek (recording engineer); Melanie Saso (hair and wigs designer); Errin Austin (makeup designer); Gisella Milla (assistant to the director); Sebastian Medina (master electrician); Hannah Wein (assistant lighting designer); Kaitlyn Meine (stage manager); Lorenzo Formosa (house manager); James Juliano (SHOUT!) (publicity director); Jacob Little (production assistant); Luis Viva (orchestra manager) and Leo Radosavljevich (chorus accompanist)

ABOUT SASHA GERRITSON, GENERAL DIRECTOR

Sasha Gerritson is a highly sought after opera and musical theater stage director who directs for many local and regional companies, specializing in traditional productions of believed repertoire. For the Opera Festival of Chicago, Gerritson received rave reviews for her production of Assassinio nella Cathedrale (2023). She also is regularly involved with Music Theater Works where she recently directed Guys and Dolls (March 6 - 30, 2025), Lerner & Loewe’s Brigadoon (2023) and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (2022) both to great critical acclaim.

Gerritson served as the Opera and Music Theatre director of Northeastern Illinois University from 2010-2022, has directed for Musica Nelle Marche (Urbino, Italy), Opera Piccola, DePaul University, the Cherub Music Theatre program for Northwestern University, in addition to various other summer programs in the area.

In addition to her stage direction work, she is a choral conductor and singer, serving as the director of music ministries for the Park Ridge Community Church. She also proudly serves on a number of boards city-wide, including The Brookfield Zoo, the Navy Pier Foundation, the Goodman Theatre and DePaul University, for which she is vice chair.

Gerritson lives in Glenview with her husband, Eugene Jarvis, and their two sons.

ABOUT OPERA FESTIVAL OF CHICAGO

The Opera Festival of Chicago presents world-class standard productions of Italian opera masterpieces in Chicago that rarely grace the stage in the United States. In doing so the Opera Festival of Chicago aspires to: generate an inquisitive operatic appetite within Chicago audiences; make its work – and its cultural context – accessible to a wide audience; provide a stimulating and inspirational environment of Italian opera for artists and audiences alike; provide a vital opportunity for young artists entering the profession to uphold the high integrity and demands of Italian opera with artists and musicians who are established professionals and to highlight and celebrate the immense talent that has originated from the Chicagoland area.

Producers Lia Vollack, John Branca, and John McClain and Broadway In Chicago are thrilled to announce that individual tickets for the highly anticipated return engagement of the smash-hit musical, MJ, will go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday, May 28. MJ makes its Chicago return at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, August 12-31. Ticket prices start at $49 with a select number of premium seats available. Additional fees apply for online purchases. See below for more ticket information and the performance schedule.

Back by overwhelming demand, the multiple Tony Award®-winning musical MJ is making a victorious return to Chicago. Created by Tony Award-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJ goes beyond Michael Jackson’s singular moves and signature sound, offering a rare glimpse at the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour. It’s electrifying sold-out crowds on Broadway; in cities across North America; London’s West End; Hamburg, Germany; Sydney, Australia and once again at the Nederlander Theatre in August. 

The MJ creative team features Scenic Design by two-time Tony and Emmy Award winner Derek McLane, Lighting Design by seven-time Tony Award winner Natasha Katz, Costume Design by Oscar, Tony and Emmy Award winner Paul Tazewell, Sound Design by Tony Award winner Gareth Owen, Projection Design by two-time Tony Award nominee Peter Nigrini, Hair & Wig Design by two-time Emmy Award nominee Charles G. LaPointe and Makeup Design by Emmy nominee Joe Dulude II. The creative team also features Musical Supervision by Tony Award nominee David Holcenberg, Orchestrations and Arrangements by David Holcenberg and Tony Award winner Jason Michael Webb, and Music Direction by Nathanael Wilkerson and Jason Yarcho. Casting by The Telsey Office / Rachel Hoffman, CSA, Lindsay Levine, CSA.

The MJ First National Tour is general managed by Bespoke Theatricals. The stage management team is led by Production Stage Manager Nicole Olson, Stage Manager Xavier Khan and Assistant Stage Managers Alexander Pierce, Christopher K Anaya-Gorman and Lauren Taylor Winston. The company management team is led by Company Manager Eric Armstrong and Assistant Company Manager Bianca Jean-Charles. 

For more information worldwide, visit: www.mjthemusical.com  ● Facebook ● Twitter ● Instagram.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
 

TICKET INFORMATION (as of 5/28/25, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets sales for MJ start tomorrow Wednesday, May 28 and range in price from $49 - $153 with a select number of premium seats available. Individual tickets may be purchased by visiting www.BroadwayInChicago.com, or any Broadway In Chicago venue box office. 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. Broadway In Chicago subscribers may add tickets to their subscription by  clicking here. Additional fees apply for online purchases.

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

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
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