Displaying items by tag: Milo Imagines The World
Try To See It Their Way: Milo Imagines The World at Chicago Children's Theatre
Have you ever jumped on a crowded L train and wondered just why there were so many people on it? Where did they all come from? Where were they all going? Who were they going to meet? What were they going to do when they got to their destination? When I ride the L I get sonder, the feeling of realizing that everyone has a life as full and complex as your own. It's the idea that everyone is the central character in their own story, but also a supporting cast member or extra in other people's stories. We never quite know what people are going through and we cannot rely on that glimpsed impression to truly understand. It is this theme that is at the heart of Milo Imagines the World, a new musical now playing at Chicago Children’s Theatre.
Milo Imagines the World follows a young boy who uses art to process the realities of growing up with an incarcerated parent. Audiences join Milo and his big sister, Adrienne, on an urban subway ride. Adrienne is at odds with her little brother and does her best to tune him out, while Milo passes the time by drawing colorful pictures of the other passengers, imagining the wonderful lives they must lead. Once the train reaches its destination, Milo understands that you can’t know anyone’s story just by looking at them.
Adapted by Terry Guest and directed by Mikael Burke, Milo Imagines the World is a world premiere musical based on the book of the same name by Newbery-winning children’s author Matt de la Peña and illustrator Christian Robinson about a young boy who uses art to process the realities of growing up with an incarcerated parent. “By telling Milo’s story, we have the opportunity to expand what children in Chicago see on stage,” says Guest, who is himself the child of an incarcerated parent. “We are reflecting their stories back at them and making them feel less alone. Milo is so many of us, and it’s an honor to bring him to life on the stage.” “This play is a ride, a musical odyssey of imagination, a journey from house to home,” adds Burke. “Through vibrant songs, expressive dance, and a whole lot of imagination, this magical, musical journey takes audiences through the mind of a child, as he learns to see the world as it really is.”
Just like riding public transit, the play took you to some expected and unexpected places. The ensemble cast embraces the humorous, creative, and imaginative world that Milo, played by Ian Thigpen, imagines as he is riding the train. You don’t quite know where he and his sister, played by Livia Robin are going, but the tension slowly builds just as it does on a commuter train; that hurry-up-we’re-going-to-miss-our-train-and-throw-off-our-whole-day feeling while simultaneously providing an escape and reprieve from the outside world. Thigpen and the Chicago Children’s Theatre ensemble cast expertly build this tension culminating in the bittersweet reality that so many children in the US experience. The story and the musical find a way to address the impact of incarceration on families while fostering a sense of wonder, joy, hope, and resilience. It is an absolute gem of a piece and is sure to move audiences for decades to come.
Public performances continue through November 10, Saturdays and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., with a large number of weekday morning matinees for school groups. Milo Imagines the World is recommended for ages six and up and a run time is approximately 60 minutes. Visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org, call (312) 374-8835, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for tickets, you don’t want to miss this incredible journey.
A Lovely Night; Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella revives magic at Marriott Theatre
24 November 2024 in Theatre ReviewsIn 1997, Disney came out with the most magnificent adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella that has ever been made.…
A Lovely Night; Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella revives magic at Marriott Theatre
24 November 2024 in Theatre ReviewsIn 1997, Disney came out with the most magnificent adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella that has ever been made.…
Throbbin’ Wood, complete with Merry Men? Count me in!
21 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewWhat the hell is pantomime anyway? Will I be reviewing a game of Charades? Google to the rescue! But I…
Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival returns January 15-26, 2025
21 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreThe Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is pulling strings to raise funds this fall, offering three exclusive sneak peeks of…
Oil Lamp Theater Announces the Cast for its 2025 Season Opener: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), Jan. 24 - Feb. 16, 2025
21 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreOil Lamp Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its first production of the 2025 season, The Complete…
Half-Price Holidays return to Hot Tix as Chicago theatres get festive for the 2024 holiday season
21 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreChicago theatres will present a wide variety of festive plays, musicals, dance, and comedy offerings this holiday season. In support,…
Steep Theatre Back Early 2025 with A Slow Air
20 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreSteep Theatre will kick off the new year with the Chicago Premiere of David Harrower's A Slow Air, directed by Steep…
Announcing cast of A Nativity Tribute in Driehaus Museum's historic Murphy Auditorium, presented in partnership with African American Museum of Performing Arts
20 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreThe Driehaus Museum and the African American Museum of Performing Arts (AAMPA) announce the casting for A Nativity Tribute, an adaptation of Langston Hughes' gospel…
Delightful Send-up of 1930s Musicals, 'Dames at Sea' Nearly Sunk by Bad Sound
18 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewOverall Citadel Theatre’s ‘Dames at Sea’ has a smashingly great cast of singers and dancers, perfect for a musical comedy…
'Blue' Holds Mirror to Race in America
18 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewWhen Francesca Zambello, director of The Glimmerglass Festival, commissioned an opera about race in America, the country was reeling from…
Review: 'Falsettos' at Court Theatre
17 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewEven 40 years later, the AIDS crisis continues to shape American life. Long before Hollywood brought AIDS stories to the…
Disney's The Little Mermaid at Drury Lane: An Inspiring and Delightful Production Celebrating Girls' Unique Voices
16 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewI thoroughly enjoyed Drury Lane's enchanting stage production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid from start to finish. While few are…
Pegasus Theatre Chicago Announces Dates, Plays and Playwrights for the 38th ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL, Jan. 5 - 26, 2025
15 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatrePegasus Theatre Chicago is proud to announce the authors and plays being presented at the 38th Annual Young Playwrights Festival, January 5 - 26,…
A Christmas Cabaret: A Magical Night with Thee Ricky Harris!
14 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreGet ready to dive into the holiday spirit like never before on December 7th and 8th with A Christmas Cabaret…
Moving, Engaging 'Every Brilliant Thing' Shines at Writers Theatre
14 November 2024 in Theatre in Review“Every Brilliant Thing,” places unusual demands on its lead character, Narrator. Jessie Fisher delivers a carefully calibrated performance from a…
Northlight to produce world premiere adaptation of Little Women
13 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreNorthlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2024–2025 season with Louisa May Alcott's…
Music Theater Works Announces its LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL Cast and Creative Teams, Dec. 19 - Jan. 19
13 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreMusic Theater Works is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the final production of its 2024 season, Legally Blonde:…
Lookingglass Announces Cast and Creative Team for the World Premiere of CIRCUS QUIXOTE, Jan. 30 - March 30, 2025
13 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreAfter pausing its operations last year to reorganize and create a new business model, Chicago's Tony-Award winning Lookingglass Theatre Company, in association…
BrightSide Theatre to present JEKYLL AND HYDE IN CONCERT January 17-26, 2025. Full cast announced!
13 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreBrightSide Theatre has announced that it will perform the long-running hit Broadway musical JEKYLL AND HYDE in a concert presentation…
Hell in a Handbag's Rudolph THE RED-HOSED REINDEER Returns December 13, 2024 – January 5, 2025 at Center on Halsted
12 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreHell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to open its 2024/25 Season with the 25th anniversary edition of Artistic Director David Cerda's* holiday classic Rudolph…
A Humorous Homage to History: The Marriage of Figaro Dazzles at The Lyric Opera
11 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewSometimes history has a way of repeating itself and it’s not always for the better. Try as we might to…
Do You Want To See Some Magic: Frozen The Broadway Musical at Paramount
09 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewThroughout our busy lives we often seek out the new. It is easy to see the allure. Beginnings offer a…
Irving Berlin's Magnificent White Christmas at Marriott Theatre: A Joyous and Heartfelt Celebration for Everyone
08 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewI've always had a deep fondness for the two timeless films Holiday Inn and White Christmas. These movies feature outstanding…
Sixth performance added! Steppenwolf Theatre Celebrates the Holidays with Jane Lynch's A Swingin' Little Christmas
08 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreDue to popular demand, Steppenwolf Theatre is pleased to announce Jane Lynch's A SWINGIN' LITTLE CHRISTMAS has added a sixth and final performance to its nearly sold-out…
THE JOFFREY BALLET CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAYS WITH RETURN OF CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON'S CHICAGO-SET THE NUTCRACKER
07 November 2024 in Upcoming DanceThe Joffrey Ballet's critically acclaimed reimagined classic, The Nutcracker by two-time Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, returns to the Lyric Opera House, 20 North…
Lifeline Theatre presents “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” for the holiday season, Nov 29 – Dec 22
07 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreLifeline Theatre brings their first MainStage production of the 2024-25 season to the stage with Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol. Tom Mula's holiday tale…
Shucked coming to CIBC Theatre in January
07 November 2024 in Upcoming TheatreIndividual tickets for SHUCKED, the Tony Award® winning musical comedy The Wall Street Journal calls "flat out hilarious," will go on sale on…
Blood and Brilliance: Invictus Theatre’s ‘Macbeth’ Stands Tall in Chicago Theatre
07 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewInvictus Theatre Company’s latest production of The Tragedy of Macbeth, adapted and directed by Sarafina Vecchio, delivers a potent, intense…
A Spell-Binding Reinvention: "Leroy and Lucy" at Steppenwolf
05 November 2024 in Theatre in ReviewNgozi Anyanwu’s Leroy and Lucy, in its electrifying world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre, takes the legendary tale of Robert Johnson’s…
The Babes with Blades are a DREAM! A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
30 October 2024 in Theatre in ReviewI’ve delighted in Babes with Blades since they began in 1997, and they are never more delightful than when slashing…
Latest Articles
-
A Lovely Night; Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella revives magic at Marriott Theatre
Written by Kendall RoyzenIn 1997, Disney came out with the most magnificent adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella that has ever been made. With talent like Brandy, Whitney Houston, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander, and Paolo Montalban, the rendition of the classic fairytale lives… -
A Lovely Night; Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella revives magic at Marriott Theatre
Written by Kendall RoyzenIn 1997, Disney came out with the most magnificent adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella that has ever been made. With talent like Brandy, Whitney Houston, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander, and Paolo Montalban, the rendition of the classic fairytale lives…
-
Throbbin’ Wood, complete with Merry Men? Count me in!
Written by Sarz MaxwellWhat the hell is pantomime anyway? Will I be reviewing a game of Charades? Google to the rescue! But I searched in vain for a definition: pan·to·mime [ˈpan(t)əˌmīm] a play or entertainment in which performers express themselves mutely by gestures.… -
Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival returns January 15-26, 2025
Written by Buzz Center StageThe Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is pulling strings to raise funds this fall, offering three exclusive sneak peeks of the amazing puppet artistry of one of next January’s most hotly anticipated festival performers, presented in highly intimate, exclusive living…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.