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Tuesday, 26 March 2024 13:12

Eddie Izzard performs Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" in limited engagement, April 19–May 4

Eddie Izzard performs Shakespeare's Hamlet in strictly limited Chicago Shakespeare Theater engagement, April 19–May 4, 2024.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces today a thrilling addition to the season: Tony Award-nominated actor Eddie Izzard brings her celebrated solo theatrical performance of Hamlet to Chicago, direct from a triple-extended New York run at the Orpheum and Greenwich House Theaters and prior to launching a highly anticipated London transfer at Riverside Studios. Izzard portrays 23 characters in William Shakespeare's iconic play in this dynamic new staging adapted by Mark Izzard and directed by Selina Cadell. This strictly limited two-week engagement plays April 19–May 4, 2024 in the Courtyard Theater.

In Hamlet, The King of Denmark is dead, and Prince Hamlet is determined to take revenge—initiating a cascade of events that will destroy both family and state. Izzard portrays men, women, ghosts, scholars, tyrants, courtiers, lovers, fools, and poets.

She says of the monumental undertaking, "I have always gravitated towards playing complex and challenging characters and Hamlet is the ultimate. This is a production for everyone, a timeless drama with an accidental hero. Selina, Mark, and I want audiences to see and hear an accessible, touching, scary, and dramatic Hamlet."

CST Executive Director Kimberly Motes and Artistic Director Edward Hall shared, "After seeing Eddie's extraordinary performance in New York, we are thrilled she's agreed to join us at CST and share her Hamlet with Chicago audiences before London. It's a rare opportunity to see a Hamlet that makes this a play for all of us—truly a play for today."

A Tony Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actor, Izzard's boundary-pushing career includes critically acclaimed roles in theater, film, and television. On Broadway, Izzard starred in Roundabout Theatre Company's 2003 revival of A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, garnering the Tony nomination for Leading Actor in a Play—and appeared in David Mamet's Race. Major London stage credits include The Cryptogram, Edward II, 900 Oneonta, Joe Egg, and Lenny. Izzard made her West End debut in 1993 in the solo show Live at the Ambassadors, receiving an Olivier Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement. Izzard's film roles include Stephen Frears' Victoria & Abdul opposite Dame Judi Dench, Julie Taymor's Across the Universe, Peter Bogdanovich's The Cat's Meow, Valkyrie, Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen, and the recent Doctor Jekyll in which she plays Dr. Nina Jekyll and Rachel Hyde. She is the recipient of two Emmy Awards for her televised special, Dressed to Kill. She's also been seen as Dr. Abel Gideon in "Hannibal" and in FX's critically acclaimed series, "The Riches," in which Izzard both starred and executive produced.

In 2022, Izzard performed a solo adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations—also created in collaboration with Mark Izzard and Selina Cadell—which played to rave reviews and sold-out audiences in New York and in London's West End. The creative team reunites for Hamlet, which features set design by Tom Piper, lighting by Tyler Elich, costume styled by Tom Piper and Libby DaCosta, composer Eliza Thompson, movement director Didi Hopkins, and fight director J. Allen Suddeth. It is produced by Westbeth Entertainment, Mick Perrin Worldwide, and John Gore.

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

Hamlet will be presented April 19–May 4, 2024, in the Courtyard Theater. Single tickets starting at $69 are on sale now. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit www.chicagoshakes.com.

ABOUT CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER

Regional Tony Award-recipient Chicago Shakespeare Theater produces a bold and innovative year-round season—plays, musicals, world premieres, family productions, and theatrical presentations from around the globe—alongside nationally recognized education programming serving tens of thousands of students, teachers, and lifelong learners each year. Founded in 1986, Chicago Shakespeare's onstage work has expanded to as many as twenty productions and 650 performances annually. CST is dedicated to welcoming the next generation of theatergoers; one in four of its audience members is under the age of eighteen. As a nonprofit organization, Chicago Shakespeare works to embrace diversity, prioritize inclusion, provide equitable opportunities, and offer an accessible experience for all. On CST's three stages at its home on Navy Pier, in classrooms and neighborhoods across the city, and in venues around the world, Chicago Shakespeare Theater is a multifaceted cultural hub—inviting audiences, artists, and community members to share powerful stories that connect and inspire. www.chicagoshakes.com.

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Monday, 19 February 2024 13:12

BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL is Coming to Chicago

BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL is Coming to Chicago
Lead producer Colin Ingram together with Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the creators of the Back to the Future film trilogy, and Broadway In Chicago are thrilled to announce the 2022 Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical, BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical will come to Chicago as part of its upcoming season package. The Broadway and West End hit show based on the Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment film will play the Cadillac Palace Theatre from August 13 – September 1, 2024. Casting will be announced at a later date.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Groups of 10+ are now on sale by calling (312) 977-1710 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. BACK TO THE FUTURE will be part of the next Broadway In Chicago subscription. Current subscribers can renewal beginning on Monday, February 26, and the season will be available to new subscribers on Wednesday, March 20. Single tickets will be on sale at a later date. Ticket prices range from $40 - $135 with a select number of premium tickets available. For more details, visit BroadwayInChicago.com.
 
Following celebrated productions in London's West End and on Broadway, BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical will open its tour at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio, in June 2024 and continue to destinations across North America. The tour launches less than 12 months after the show's Broadway opening on August 3, 2023, at the Winter Garden Theatre. The critically acclaimed West End production of BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical officially opened in London on September 13, 2021, has been seen by more than 800,000 people to date, and broken multiple Adelphi Theatre box office records. The production won the Best New Musical Olivier Award as well as multiple WhatsOnStage Awards and a Broadway World Award for Best New Musical. BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical had its world premiere at the Manchester Opera House on March 11, 2020.
 
"BRINGS ALL THE MAGIC FROM THE SCREEN TO THE STAGE!" – Entertainment Weekly
 
Marty McFly is a rock 'n' roll teenager who is accidentally transported back to 1955 in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown. But before he can return to 1985, Marty must make sure his high school-aged parents fall in love in order to save his own existence.
 
Based on the Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment film, BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical has a book by Bob Gale, new music and lyrics by Emmy and Grammy Award-winning Alan Silvestri and six-time Grammy Award-winning Glen Ballard, with additional songs from the film including "The Power of Love" and "Johnny B. Goode." Bob Gale is the co-creator and co-writer of the Back to the Future film trilogy and Alan Silvestri composed the iconic film score for the series.
 
BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical is directed by Tony Award® winner John Rando and features a multi-Tony and Olivier Award-winning design team that includes Tim Hatley (set and costume design), Tim Lutkin and Hugh Vanstone (lighting), Gareth Owen (sound) and Finn Ross (video), with choreography by Chris Bailey, musical supervision and arrangements by Nick Finlow, illusions by Chris Fisher, orchestrations by Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook, dance arrangements by David Chase, and casting by Tara Rubin. Bespoke Theatricals serves as General Manager.
 
"THE AUDIENCE GOES WILD!" – The New York Times
 
Bob Gale said, "To paraphrase Marty McFly, you guys are ready for this, and your kids are gonna love it (too)! If Bob Zemeckis and I time traveled back to 1980 and told our younger selves that the script they were struggling to write would become a Broadway musical 43 years later, they'd kick us out of their office and call us crazy. Well, sometimes, crazy ideas give birth to great entertainment, and now Bob and I are eager to share our musical vision with New York audiences. The London production exceeded our original expectations on every level, and we're certain the Broadway version, along with the fantastic songs by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard, will be even better. Regardless of whether you've seen the original film, BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical, with its outstanding performances and incredible stagecraft, will delight and enthrall you, your kids, your parents, and everyone you know!"
 
Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard said, "It all began for us with the story and characters that made Back To The Future a much beloved, cinematic classic. The magic of musical theatre presented us with the possibility of adding new dimension and depth to our familiar Hill Valley residents. Through song and dance their innermost thoughts, hopes, and dreams are now revealed. It's a story first told in 1985, that traveled back to 1955, and will now be told in 2023 in New York City and, starting in 2024, across North America. We are thrilled and excited to invite you to join us on this epic journey through time."
 
Lead Producer Colin Ingram said, "Following London and Broadway, we are delighted to take BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical on the road. We look forward to entertaining and thrilling audiences, who have cherished this story for decades, with the moving and spectacular musical version."
 
The Original Cast Recording of BACK TO THE FUTURE: The Musical is available now from Sony Masterworks Broadway in all formats, including vinyl. (https://soundtracks.lnk.to/BTTFAlbum) A deluxe 2-disc edition of the Original Cast Recording featuring never heard before demos of the songs from the musical was released by Sony Masterworks Broadway on June 30, 2023.
 
A 240-page hardcover book, Creating Back to the Future The Musical by Michael Klastorin, the official behind-the-scenes companion to the stage musical adaptation of Back to the Future, published by Abrams Books, was released on July 3, 2023.
 
Back to the Future the film was released in 1985, starring Michael J. Fox as "Marty McFly" and Christopher Lloyd as "Dr. Emmett Brown." The film grossed $360.6 million at the box office worldwide and the total box office for all three films in the Back to the Future franchise was $936.6 million (over $1.8 billion in today's money).
 
Follow BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICIAL at @bttfbway on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram.
 
For more information visit www.BackToTheFutureMusical.com.
 
BIOGRAPHIES
COLIN INGRAM (Lead Producer). Olivier Award-winning producer Colin Ingram has worked in the theatre industry for 27 years with some of the world's leading producers, directors, designers and writers. He currently produces Back To The Future – The Musical and Grease on the West End and has just premiered Time Traveller's Wife – The Musical in Chester prior to a West End transfer. Back To The Future won Best New Musical at the Olivier Awards (after 7 nominations), What's On Stage Award and Broadwayworld.com and the London Lifestyle Award for Best Theatre Show. Colin produced Ghost the Musical which has been staged in 22 countries in 14 languages in over 30 productions including West End and Broadway. It was nominated for five Olivier Awards and three Tony Awards and won Best Musical at the Manchester Theatre Awards. He was Executive Producer of the multi-Tony and Olivier-Award winning Billy Elliot the Musical in the West End and consulted on the Broadway and Australian productions. He also lead-produced Breakfast at Tiffany's on Broadway and twice in the West End, and on the UK tour starring Emilia Clarke ("Game of Thrones"), Anna Friel and Pixie Lott. It won a Broadway.com award for Best Play. Prior to becoming an independent producer, Colin worked for Cameron Mackintosh for six years, general-managing Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Oklahoma! (starring Hugh Jackman), The Witches of Eastwick and the Les Misérables 10th anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall. He then joined Disney Theatrical Productions to be UK Managing Director overseeing the London office and the productions of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and other shows in development. Colin then joined the Old Vic as Executive Producer and produced Hamlet starring Ben Whishaw, Aladdin starring Ian McKellen, and Richard II, The Philadelphia Story and National Anthems. He then produced the Billy Joel/Twyla Tharp musical Movin' Out in the West End, and co-produced Gone With the Wind directed by Trevor Nunn. In 2016, Colin joined Madison Square Gardens Entertainment as Executive Vice President of Productions. At Radio City, he produced the New York Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes – a major undertaking involving over 350 cast, crew and musicians – and produced the 2016 Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes, achieving the highest revenue in its 85-year history. coliningramltd.com
 
BOB GALE (Book, Co-Creator, Producer) is an Oscar-nominated Screenwriter-Producer-Director, best known as co-creator, co-writer and co-producer of Back to the Future and its sequels. Gale was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Cinema from the University of Southern California in 1973, where he met and began his association with his longtime collaborator, Robert Zemeckis. Gale has written or co-written over 30 screenplays and his other film credits include 1941, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Used Cars, Trespass and Interstate 60, the latter which he directed. In addition to his film and television work, and being the "Gatekeeper" for the BTTF Franchise, Gale has written comic books including Spider-Man, Batman, Daredevil and IDW's Back to the Future series, thus proving to his father that he did not waste hours and hours reading comics in his youth. He has given talks on screenwriting in colleges across the USA, and enjoys meeting fans at Comic Conventions and Back to the Future events. He has also served as an Expert Witness in over 25 plagiarism lawsuits, even though this has occasionally required him to wear a suit and tie. When he's not in production, writing, or wasting time on the internet, he actually does take out the trash, even when his wife doesn't ask (well, sometimes he does). Gale lives in California with his wife and dog. Back to the Future the Musical is his first foray into writing for the stage.
 
ROBERT ZEMECKIS (Co-Creator, Producer) won an Academy Award©, a Golden Globe and a Director's Guild of American Award for Best Director for the hugely successful and popular Forrest Gump. The film's numerous honors also included a Best Picture Oscar and for Tom Hanks, a Best Actor Oscar. Early in his career, he co-wrote with Bob Gale and directed Back to the Future, which was the top-grossing release of 1985, and for which Zemeckis shared Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Screenplay. He then went on to helm Back to the Future, Part II and Part III, completing one of the most successful film franchises in Motion Picture history. Zemeckis has continued to bring an impressive number of popular films to the screen including the comedies Used Cars and I Wanna Hold Your Hand, the romantic adventure Romancing The Stone starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner and the macabre comedy hit Death Becomes Her starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis. He also directed Who Framed Roger Rabbit, cleverly blending live action and animation in a feature film, resulting in a worldwide box office smash. Zemeckis re-teamed with Hanks directing and producing the contemporary drama Cast Away which opened to critical and audience acclaim. He directed and produced Contact, starring Jodie Foster, based on the best-selling novel by Carl Sagan. He also co-wrote and directed the motion capture film The Polar Express, starring Tom Hanks as a charming train conductor taking children on a magical adventure to the North Pole. Zemeckis produced and directed his second motion capture film, Beowulf which starred Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie, based on one of the oldest surviving pieces of Anglo-Saxon literature, written before the 10th Century A.D. He released another advanced motion-capture film: A Christmas Carol, based on the celebrated and beloved classic story by Charles Dickens which he both wrote and directed for The Disney Studios. Zemeckis returned to live action direction with the critically-acclaimed dramatic feature film Flight, for Paramount Pictures starring Denzel Washington. Under the direction of Zemeckis, Washington received an Academy Award nomination for the role. For The Walk, he directed Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ben Kingsley in the story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit's 1974 attempt to cross the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. He then directed the romantic thriller Allied starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, telling the compelling story of the relationship between a Canadian Intelligence Officer and a French Resistance Fighter against the backdrop of WWII in North Africa in 1942. Along with Caroline Thompson Zemeckis wrote the screenplay for Welcome to Marwen, which he directed for Universal Pictures. The film starred Steve Carell as artist Mark Hogancamp who created a miniature WWII-era village as a way to recover from a violent assault. He then directed The Witches for Warner Bros. Studios. Zemeckis produced such films as The Frighteners, Monster House, Last Holiday, and as a producer brought the true life story of The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio starring Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson to the big screen. Along with Bob Gale, Zemeckis co-wrote Trespass. He and Gale previously wrote 1941, which began a long-time association with Steven Spielberg. For his present directorial effort, Zemeckis has completed Pinocchio which he co-wrote for the Disney Studios. The film is currently on Disney+. In 1998 Zemeckis, Steve Starkey and Jack Rapke partnered to form the ImageMovers, a production company dedicated to telling character-driven stories across many genres for film and television incorporating into their both cutting-edge and innovative digital technology. For the small screen, his television directing credits include episodes of Spielberg's Amazing Stores and HBO's Tales From the Crypt. He serves as Executive Producer on Medal of Honor, for Netflix and also Executive Produces on Blue Book for the History Channel and Executive Produces on Manifest for NBC and Warner Bros. Studios. In March 2001, the USC School of Cinema-Television celebrated the opening of the Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts. This state-of-the-art center is the country's first and only fully digital training center and houses the latest in non-linear production and post-production equipment as well as stages, a 50-seat screening room and USC student-run television station, Trojan Vision.
 
ALAN SILVESTRI (Music & Lyrics). In his ongoing, decades-long career as a composer, Alan Silvestri has blazed an innovative trail with his exciting and melodic scores, winning the applause of Hollywood and movie audiences the world over. With a credit list of over 100 films, Silvestri has composed some of the most recognisable and beloved themes in movie history. His efforts have been recognised with two Oscar® nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, two Emmy® awards, eight Grammy award nominations leading to three Grammy® awards and numerous International Film Music Critics Awards, Saturn Awards, and Hollywood Music In Media Awards. Born in New York City and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, Silvestri first dreamed of becoming a jazz guitar player. After attending the Berklee School of Music in Boston, he hit the road as a performer and arranger. Landing in Hollywood at the age of 22, he found himself successfully composing the music for 1972's The Doberman Gang which established his place in the world of film composing. The 1970s witnessed the rise of energetic synth-pop scores, establishing Silvestri as the action rhythmatist for TV's highway patrol hit "CHiPs." This action-driven score caught the ear of a young filmmaker named Robert Zemeckis, whose 1984 hit film, Romancing the Stone, was the perfect first date for the composer and director. Its success became the basis of a decades- long relationship that continues to this day. Their numerous collaborations have taken them through fascinating landscapes and stylistic variations, from the Back to the Future trilogy to Toontown in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the tension of What Lies Beneath and Death Becomes Her, to the cosmic wonder of Contact; the emotional isolation of Castaway , to the magic of The Polar Express, to Zemeckis' 1994 Best Picture winner, Forrest Gump, for which Silvestri's gift for melodically beautiful themes earned him an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination. This 39-year, 22-film collaboration includes such recent films as Flight, Allied, The Witches and Walt Disney's Pinocchio starring Tom Hanks. Zemeckis and Silvestri are currently working on Here starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright which is scheduled for release in 2023. Though the Zemeckis/Silvestri collaboration is legendary, Silvestri has scored films of every imaginable style and genre. His energy has brought excitement and emotion to the hard-hitting orchestral scores for Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One, James Cameron's The Abyss as well as Predator 1 and 2 and The Mummy Returns. Alan's diversity is on full display in family entertainment films such as The Father of the Bride 1 and 2, The Parent Trap, Stuart Little 1 and 2, Disney's Lilo and Stitch, The Croods as well as Night at the Museum 1, 2 and 3 while his passion for melody fuels the romantic emotion of films like The Bodyguard and What Women Want. In 2018-19 Alan composed the music for Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. These films are the culmination of a partnership with Marvel that began in 2011 with his dynamically heroic score for Captain America: The First Avenger followed by The Avengers in 2012. Alan's collaboration with Marvel helped propel The Avengers: Infinity Saga to spectacular worldwide success. Silvestri's success has also crossed into the world of songwriting for film and stage. His partnership with six-time Grammy Award-winner Glen Ballard has produced movie hits such as the Grammy-winning and Oscar- nominated song 'Believe' (Josh Groban) for The Polar Express, 'Butterfly Fly Away' (Miley Cyrus) for Hannah Montana The Movie, 'God Bless Us Everyone' (Andrea Bocelli) for A Christmas Carol and 'A Hero Comes Home' (Idina Menzel) for Beowulf. Silvestri and Ballard's newest venture is the phenomenally successful Back to the Future: The Musical. Silvestri and Ballard cowrote the songs and Silvestri adapted his iconic score for the stage. This collaboration proved to be irresistible to audiences and critics alike as Back to the Future: The Musical was honored with the prestigious Olivier Award for Best New Musical of 2022
 
GLEN BALLARD (Music & Lyrics). Six-time Grammy Award winner Glen Ballard is one of popular music's most accomplished producers and songwriters, whose records have sold more than one hundred and fifty million copies worldwide. Through his Los Angeles-based production company, Augury, Ballard is developing a diverse slate of projects in which music plays a central role. His most recent project is the Netflix Original series "The Eddy": a music-driven multicultural drama about a jazz band trying to survive in chaotic modern-day Paris which debuted in May 2020. Ballard wrote and composed original songs and music for the limited series and served as an executive producer alongside Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle, BAFTA and Tony award winning writer Jack Thorne, and Emmy winning producer/director Alan Poul. Ballard wrote original lyrics and music for GHOST the Musical which debuted in 2011 and has since been touring worldwide. Ballard's international production company, Augury is a producer of the stage adaptation of 1985's Back to the Future having worked on the project's development for more than 14 years. In collaboration with Grammy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated film composer Alan Silvestri, Ballard created original music and lyrics for the production which includes 17 new original songs and is directed by John Rando. Ballard is also writing songs for the stage version of the 1979 movie The Rose, to be produced by Gail Berman (The Jackal Group) and Michael Gorfaine and Sam Schwartz in association with Augury. Ballard produced and co-wrote Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill" (33 million worldwide, four Grammys, and named Best Album of the Decade by Billboard Magazine), and in 2019 a musical called Jagged Little Pill featuring all the songs from the album debuted on Broadway. Directed by Diane Paulus with a book by Diablo Cody, Jagged Little Pill the Musical was nominated for 15 Tony Awards in 2020. Ballard has written and produced songs for Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Dave Matthews, Shakira, Katy Perry, Idina Menzel, George Benson, Ringo Starr, George Strait, Wilson Phillips, Van Halen, Chaka Khan, Patti Austin, Al Jarreau, Andrea Bocelli and many others. His production credits include producing and arranging records for Annie Lennox, No Doubt and POD. Ballard co-wrote and arranged "Man in the Mirror" for Michael Jackson and co-wrote and produced the Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated song "Believe" (Josh Groban) for the feature film The Polar Express. His work in film includes writing original songs for Charlotte's Web, Beowulf, A Christmas Carol, The Croods, The Mummy's Return, Valentine's Day and Disney's live-action retelling of Pinocchio which premiered on Disney+ on September 8, 2022.
 
JOHN RANDO (Director) won the Best Director Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Urinetown. His hit production of Back to the Future is currently on London's West End. Other Broadway credits include Mr. Saturday Night, On the Town (Tony nomination), A Christmas Story, The Wedding Singer, Penn & Teller, A Thousand Clowns, and Neil Simon's The Dinner Party. For City Center Encores! he directed The New Yorkers, High Button Shoes, It's a Bird... It's a Plane...It's Superman, Annie Get Your Gun, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Damn Yankees, Face the Music, Of Thee I Sing, The Pajama Game, Do Re Mi and Strike Up the Band. At the New York Philharmonic, Carousel. Off-Broadway credits include Jerry Springer the Opera, David Ives' The Heir Apparent (SDCF Callaway Award) and All in the Timing (Obie Award). John's work can be seen in China in two original musicals: Jay Chou's The Secret and Spirit of Life – The Jonathan Lee Musical.
 
TIM HATLEY (Set and Costume Design). Double nominations at the 2022 Olivier Awards - Best Set Design for Back to the Future and Life of Pi. (Winner) Tim has designed extensively for The National Theatre, West End and Broadway, and is the winner of 2 Tony Awards, 3 Olivier Awards, & 4 Drama Desk Awards, including the 2022 Olivier Award for Best Set Design for Life of Pi. Recent theatre credits include: Life of Pi (West End); Back to the Future (West End & UK Tour); Dreamgirls (West End & UK Tour); Travesties (Menier/West End/ Broadway); Ghosts (Almeida Theatre/West End/Brooklyn Academy of Music); Little Eyolf (Almeida Theatre); Temple (Donmar Warehouse); Enemy of the People, Pajama Game (Chichester Festival Theatre); The Slaves of Solitude & Drawing The Line (Hampstead Theatre); Mr. Foote's Other Leg (Hampstead Theatre/West End), The Bodyguard (West End/International Tours); Shrek (West End/ Broadway/UK Tour/US Tour); Spamalot (West End/Broadway/US Tour/Las Vegas); Singin' in the Rain, My Fair Lady (Chatelet Paris) and Carmen & Don Quixote (The Royal Ballet). Film credits include Production Design for: Closer, Notes on a Scandal and Stage Beauty.
 
CHRIS BAILEY (Choreography) is a choreographer and director whose recent credits include Back To The Future (London, West End), Gettin' The Band Back Together (Broadway), Jerry Springer The Opera (The New Group, Chita Rivera Award Nominee), The New Yorkers (NY City Center Encores!), 1776 (NY City Center Encores!), The Entertainer with Kenneth Branagh (West End), Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory), Cyrano De Bergerac (Broadway), A Little Night Music (Stratford), and Because Of Winn Dixie (Goodspeed). Chris choreographed the historic opening number 'Bigger' with Neil Patrick Harris of the 2013 Tony Awards (CBS) and served as associate choreographer numerous times for the Academy Awards. Feature films he has worked on include: Cinderella, Ted 2, A Million Ways To Die In The West and Beyond The Sea. Chris has worked closely with Charlize Theron, Channing Tatum, Seth MacFarlane, Neil Patrick Harris, Daniel Radcliffe, Kenneth Branagh, and Hugh Jackman. Chris is originally from Leicestershire, UK and now lives in New York City.
 
NICK FINLOW (Musical Supervision and Arrangements) is the Musical Supervisor, Additional Music & Vocal Arranger for the New Musical, The Time Traveller's Wife, Musical Supervisor, Vocal & Additional Music Arranger for Back to The Future London and Musical Supervisor for Dreamgirls UK Tour. He is UK Musical Supervisor for The Book of Mormon London and UK Tour and Associate Musical Supervisor for Mamma Mia! London. Previous work includes: Musical Supervisor and Conductor for Dreamgirls – London, Musical Supervisor: Memphis – London, Avenue Q UK Tour, Les Misérables UK Tour. Musical Director roles include: The Book Of Mormon, Jersey Boys, Avenue Q, Acorn Antiques, Mamma Mia!, Tonight's The Night, Tell Me on a Sunday & Rent. Recordings: Co-Producer & Musical Supervisor – Back To The Future Original London cast album, Musical Supervisor: Dreamgirls London cast album, Memphis London cast album. He graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and has a postgraduate diploma in Advanced Piano studies.
 
TIM LUTKIN (Lighting Design). London West End: Life Of Pi (Wyndhams Theatre) (Laurence Olivier Award - Won); Back To The Future - The Musical (Adelphi Theatre) (Laurence Olivier Award - Nomination); Four Quartets starring Ralph Fiennes (Harold Pinter Theatre); Chimerica (Harold Pinter Theatre and Almeida) (Laurence Olivier Award - Won); Fiddler On The Roof (Playhouse Theatre); Big - The Musical (Dominion Theatre & National Tour); Noises Off (Garrick Theatre); Elf - The Musical (Dominion Theatre & National Tour); Quiz (Noël Coward Theatre); The Girls - The Musical (Phoenix Theatre); The Go Between starring Michael Crawford (Apollo Theatre); Close To You Bacharach Reimagined (Criterion Theatre); Impossible (Noël Coward Theatre); Strangers On A Train (Gielgud Theatre) (WhatsOnStage Award - Nomination); The Full Monty (Noël Coward Theatre & National Tours); A Number (Old Vic Theatre); Lungs (Old Vic Theatre); Present Laughter (Old Vic Theatre) (WhatsOnStage Award - Nomination); The Crucible (Old Vic Theatre); David Blaine Live (Hammersmith Apollo and National Arena Tour); Dynamo Live - Seeing Is Believing (Hammersmith Apollo and World Arena Tour).
 
HUGH VANSTONE (Lighting Design) has designed lighting for over 200 productions worldwide and received many accolades for his work including two Tonys and three Olivier Awards for best lighting. Broadway credits include A Christmas Carol (2019 Tony award), The Boys in the Band, Groundhog Day, An Act of God, I'll Eat You Last..., Matilda (2013 Tony Award), Ghost (Tony nom), La Bête, Mary Stuart (Tony nom), A Steady Rain, God of Carnage, Shrek, Boeing-Boeing, Spamalot (Tony nom), Bombay Dreams, Life x3, The Graduate, Blast!, Follies, The Unexpected Man, Closer, The Blue Room, ART . Hugh is based in London where he has won three Olivier Awards for Best Lighting. More at hughvanstone.com
 
FINN ROSS (Video Design). He has won two Oliviers, a Tony and three Drama Desks & four What's on Stage Awards. Recent work...Theatre: Tammy Fey, Spring Awakening (Almeida); My Neighbour Totoro (RSC); Dancin (Broadway); Back to the Future (West End); Frozen (West End) Les Misérables (West End); Sweet Charity (Donmar); Mean Girls (Broadway), Bat out of Hell (West End and International), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (West End & Broadway), Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Broadway/West End/Tour); Jagged Little Pill, In the Body of the World (American Reparatory Theatre & Broadway); American Psycho (Broadway & Almeida); Betrayal (Broadway); Chimerica (Almeida & West End); The Tempest (The RSC & Barbican); Master and Margarita, All My Sons, Shunkin (Complicite) Opera: The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogany (Royal Opera House); Missa Solemnis (LA Phil); Benvenuto Cellini, Death of Klinghoffer, Death in Venice, Damnation of Faust, Don Giovanni, (ENO); Hänsel und Gretel, Zäuberflote, A Dog's Heart (DNO, Amsterdam); La clemenza di Tito, Mr Brouček (Opera North); Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Béatrice et Bénédict, Turn of the Screw (Theatre an der Wien); Rinaldo (Glyndebourne); Dance: Anna Karenina (The Joffrey Ballet); The Nutcracker (Atlanta Ballet); The Feeling of Going (Skånes Dansteater and Malmö Opera) Music: Cold Play (Music of the Spheres); Sam Fender (17 Going Under); Foals (Life is Yours); Herbert Grönemayer (20th Anniversary Concert); Mark Ronson (Midnight Feeling), J Balvin Fornightmares (Fortnight), W Hotel Instillation (Guangzhou, China); Rolling Stones Exhibitionism (International).
 
GARETH OWEN (Sound Design). Sound Design Award highlights: Tony Award & Drama Desk Award for MJ: The Musical; Olivier Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Broadway World Award, Green Room Award, Dora Award, Craig Noel Award and the WhatsOnStage Award for Come From Away; Olivier Award for Memphis; Olivier Award for Merrily We Roll Along; Tony nomination for A Little Night Music; Tony nomination for End Of The Rainbow; Olivier nomination for Back To The Future; Olivier nomination for Bat Out Of Hell; Olivier nomination for Top Hat; Olivier nomination for End Of The Rainbow and Pro Sound Award for Sound Engineer Of The Year. Broadway highlights: MJ: The Musical, & Juliet, Diana, Summer, Come From Away, A Bronx Tale, Spring Awakening, End Of The Rainbow, Bat Out Of Hell, Secret Garden and A Little Night Music. West End Highlights: Back To The Future, ALW's Cinderella, Prince Of Egypt, & Juliet, Come From Away, Bat Out Of Hell, Strictly Ballroom, 42nd Street, Wind In The Willows, Memphis, I Can't Sing, In The Heights, La Cage Aux Folles and Top Hat. International highlights: Starlight Express (Bochum, Germany), Disney's Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Worldwide), Disney's Little Mermaid (Worldwide).
 
CHRIS FISHER (Illusions) is a member of The Magic Circle. He works worldwide as International Illusions & Magic Associate for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Theatre as Illusion Consultant in New York includes; Company (Bernard B Jacobs Theatre), Angels in America (Neil Simon Theatre), Superhero (Tony Kiser Theatre). Illusion Consultant in London and UK: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Leeds Playhouse), The Time Traveller's Wife (Chester Storyhouse), Back to the Future: The Musical (Adelphi); 2:22 - A Ghost Story (Criterion, Gielgud and Noel Coward). The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Gillian Lynne and UK tour); Bedknobs and Broomsticks (UK Tour), Wicked (NeueFlora Theatre, Hamburg); Merlin (Northern Ballet); The Prince of Egypt (Dominion); Big the Musical (Dominion); Company (Gielgud), Peter Gynt (National Theatre); Julie (National Theatre); Angels in America (National Theatre); Macbeth (RSC, Swan Theatre and Barbican); Titus Andronicus (RSC), Barnum (Menier Chocolate Factory); The Hypocrite (Hull Truck Theatre/RSC, Swan Theatre); No Man's Land (Wyndham's); Into the Woods (Royal Exchange); Here We Go, Treasure Island (National Theatre); The Skriker (Royal Exchange).
 
ETHAN POPP (Orchestrations) is a Grammy Award nominated music producer as well as an Olivier Award and two-time Tony Award nominated orchestrator. With a career spanning over the last twenty years, his work as a music supervisor, arranger, orchestrator and music producer has been seen and heard worldwide. Theatre: Back To The Future (2022 Olivier Award Nomination – Best Original Score Or Orchestrations), Mrs. Doubtfire, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (2021 Tony Award Nomination – Best Orchestrations), School of Rock (2016 Tony Award Nomination – Best New Musical), Hedwig And The Angry Inch (2015 Tony Award Winner – Best Revival of a Musical), Motown The Musical (2013 Tony Award Nomination – Best Orchestrations & 2014 Grammy Award Nomination – Best Musical Theatre Album), Rock of Ages (2008 Tony Award Nomination – Best New Musical), Disney's Tarzan, We Will Rock You, Disney's Aida, Disney's The Lion King, Mamma Mia! and more. Television: Ethan has served as a composer, music producer, arranger and orchestrator on works from NBC/Universal's "Smash" and HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver." Film: His work on the big screen can be heard most notably as Music Director and Music Production Supervisor for 20th Century Fox's The Greatest Showman starring Hugh Jackman, and as vocal and piano coach to Academy Award winner Rami Malek in his starring role in Bohemian Rhapsody. www.ethanpopp.com
 
BRYAN CROOK (Orchestrations) is a Tony and Olivier-nominated orchestrator, songwriter, producer, composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. He has performed on and contributed to several Grammy-winning albums and his career has been full of varied collaborations, from orchestral, Broadway, film, and television to jazz, pop, rock, EDM, and heavy metal. Credits include Ice Age 4 (Fox), The Emmy Awards, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Studios), The Billboard Music Awards, The Tony Awards, Motown the Musical, The Book of Mormon, Back to the Future: The Musical, "Smash" (NBC), Legally Blonde, West Side Story, First Date, In the Heights, and Doubtfire among many others. He has played woodwinds in over 25 Broadway pit orchestras and touring shows around the world. Bryan maintains a busy studio schedule, composing, songwriting, recording, and producing music for film, TV, and commercial projects. He works with an amazing team of artists and producers through his production and publishing company Mana Music & Media with his best friends and partners Michael and Sarah Surprenant. Bryan's work can currently be heard in worldwide companies of Back to the Future: The Musical, Book of Mormon and Doubtfire. Bryan's most important credits will always be a husband to Hilary and father to Liam, Ethan, and Henry. I love you all dearly.
 
DAVID CHASE (Dance Arrangements). Music director, supervisor and/or arranger for over 40 Broadway productions. Many arrangements and orchestrations for the Boston Pops (including their signature Twelve Days of Christmas), The Kennedy Center Honors, Radio City Music Hall, and TV's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "Love and Death" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." Music director and arranger for NBC's "Sound of Music Live!" and "Peter Pan Live!" (Emmy nominations for both), and Apple TV's "Schmigadoon!." Choral works recorded by Judith Clurman's EssentialVoicesUSA and published by Hal Leonard. Grammy and Olivier nominations. David lives in NYC with his wife, actress and Drama Desk nominee Paula Leggett Chase, and their two sons, Kyler and Dashiell. 
 
TARA RUBIN (Casting). Selected Broadway and National Tours: KPOP, Mr. Saturday Night, Six, Ain't Too Proud, King Kong, The Band's Visit, Prince of Broadway, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, Cats, Falsettos, School of Rock, Bullets Over Broadway, Big Fish, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Spamalot, ...Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera. Selected Off-Broadway: Sing Street, Trevor, Between the Lines, Clueless, Gloria: A Life, Smokey Joe's Café, Here Lies Love.
 
ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 24 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago's Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre.
 
For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
Follow @broadwayinchicago on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok #broadwayinchicago
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Thursday, 25 January 2024 14:04

Jackalope Theatre Announces its 16th Season

Jackalope Theatre Announces its 16th Season


Jackalope Theatre Company is proud to announce its 16th season to be performed at its new home in Edgewater, Berger Park, 6205 N. Broadway Ave. The 2024 season includes the previously announced one-man thriller in rhyme, The Smuggler, February 16 – March 16, by Ronán Noone, directed by Gus Menary and starring Andrew Burden Swanson and shares the second production in the season, the world premiere of The Singularity Play, May 18 – June 22, by Jay Stull and directed by Georgette Verdin. Season subscriptions may be purchased for $55 with single tickets starting at $15. Subscriptions and single tickets are on sale now at JackalopeTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at 773.340.2543.

“We’re thrilled to announce Jackalope’s 16th Season of plays, both housed at Chicago Park District’s Berger Park Coach House,” Artistic Director Kaiser Ahmed said of Season 16. “I'm incredibly excited to share these surprising and thought-provoking premieres with our Chicago audiences. The company's commitment to producing new works remains as unflinching as these two sharply written scripts. Come experience the awe up close in the intimate lakeside black box theater we now call home." 

Jackalope Theatre’s 16th season includes:

CHICAGO PREMIERE

The Smuggler

February 16 – March 16, 2024

Written by Ronán Noone

Directed by Gus Menary

Starring Andrew Burden Swanson

Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd.

Previews: Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Press Opening: Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance Schedule: Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $15-35

The Smuggler is a thriller in rhyme. It is 2024. Tim Finnegan is a clever and enterprising Irish immigrant tending bar on the island of Amity, an affluent summer enclave off the coast of Massachusetts. When his child falls ill and he loses his job, Tim is drawn into the dark world that exists only in the shadows of the wealthy island. One part “Breaking Bad,” one part Beowulf, The Smuggler is a ripping modern yarn of corruption, morality and giant rats that asks what it means to call yourself a "Citizen.”

WORLD PREMIERE

The Singularity Play 

May 18 – June 22, 2024

Written by Jay Stull

Directed by Georgette Verdin

Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd.

Previews: Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, May 19 at 3 p.m., Monday, May 20 and Wednesday May 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Performance Schedule: Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.

Tickets: $15-35

In an unused room at the Google offices in Manhattan, a theater troupe has gathered to rehearse a new play written by an advanced AI named "Denise." In an art that relies so substantially upon our human-ness, what does it mean to cede the stage to artificial intelligence? Who are we when reflected by the intelligence we’ve created?

ABOUT RONÁN NOONE, PLAYWRIGHT THE SMUGGLER

Ronán Noone (he/him) believes in playing with a myriad of elements to find the right way to tell a good story; a necessary story that tells us who we are, where we have been and where we are going. He believes in stories that resonate beyond the theatre’s door and that add ideas to the national conversation. He believes in the playwright as a thinker traveling in the direction of their fear. His play The Smuggler won the Best Playwright award at the 1st Irish Festival of New York in January of 2019. The Second Girl (Thirst) was the inaugural winner of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) Excellence in Playwriting Award (2015) and an Edgerton Award winner in 2014. Additional plays include The Atheist, Brendan, Scenes from an Adultery, The Lepers of Baile Baiste, The Blowin of Baile Gall, The Gigolo of Baile Breag (The Baile Trilogy), The Compass Rose, Little Black Dress and A Small Death.

ABOUT GUS MENARY, DIRECTOR THE SMUGGLER

Gus Menary (he/him) Most recently, Gus directed David Greig's adaptation of Stanislaw Lem's Solaris at Book-It Repertory Theatre in Seattle, where he served as Artistic Director. While there, he oversaw the pivot to audio plays during the COVID shutdown and produced world-premiere audio adaptations of authors such as Octavia E. Butler, N.K. Jemisin, and Oscar Wilde. As part of Book-It’s return to the stage, he produced world-premiere stage adaptations of Amy Tan’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter and Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, as well as many other modern adaptations. As director, he led the productions of Julian Glover’s Beowulf and Bilal Dardai's world-premiere adaptation of Jamyang Norbu's The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes. Previously, he served as the Artistic Director of Jackalope Theatre. Under his leadership, Jackalope produced world-premieres by Ike Holter (Prowess and The Light Fantastic), Lloyd Suh (Franklinland), Idris Goodwin (The Raid), and Calamity West (In the Canyon, Rolling), among many other national and regional premieres. Onstage, he directed Aaron Loeb's Ideation, Kenneth Lin's Life On Paper, Shawn Reddy's My Name is Mudd, Andrew Swanson's Lunacy! and Moonshiner, and Ike Holter's The Light Fantastic and Exit Strategy.  

ABOUT JAY STULL, PLAYWRIGHT THE SINGULARITY PLAY

Jay Stull(he/him )is a theater-maker from New York City. His work has been developed or produced by Ars Nova, The Alliance Theater, The Amoralists, The Bloomington Playwrights Project, New York City Center Off Center, the New Light Theater Project, New York Theatre Workshop, Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, the Gym at Judson, PlayCo, Roundabout, The Tank and the Theater, Dance, and Media concentration (TDM) at Harvard College. His written work has been supported by Yaddo, the New York Foundation for the Arts and the New York State Council for the Arts and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. He is an alumnus of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, The Civilians R&D Group and the Early Career Directing Fellowship at Clubbed Thumb. MFA: Columbia. 

ABOUT GEORGETTE VERDIN, DIRECTOR THE SINGULARITY PLAY

Georgette Verdin (she/her) is a Cuban-American freelance director, the associate artistic director of Northlight Theatre and a member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Recent directing credits include: Dial M for Murder (Northlight Theatre); the revival of Night Watch (Raven Theatre); the United States. premiere of The Writer (Steep Theatre); the world premieres of A Mile in The Dark (Interrobang Theatre Project/Rivendell Theatre Ensemble); Enough to Let the Light In (Teatro Vista); Chagall in School (Grippo Stage Company) and Spay (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble). Verdin is a three-time Jeff nominated director and was the 2022 Michael Maggio Directing Fellow at Goodman Theatre. From 2015-2023, she served as artistic director of Interrobang Theatre Project, an award-winning storefront theatre known for gutsy productions that tackled socially-relevant issues. She was profiled in NewCity’s 2023 “Players: Who Really Performs for Chicago Right Now” and in Chicago Reader’s “Best of Chicago 2022.” She is an associate member with Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

ABOUT JACKALOPE THEATRE

Jackalope Theatre Company expands the definition of American Identity by engaging with communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives. Jackalope is a premier home for new and exciting Off-Loop Theatre based in Chicago's Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods. They are committed to cultivating new voices that contribute to an expanding American culture and mythology. Each season, Jackalope produces full-length plays, new play development programming and provides free classes in partnership with the Chicago Park District.

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Monday, 22 January 2024 10:38

Invictus Theatre Company Moves to Windy City Playhouse, Opens Feb. 13 with Pulitzer-winner Topdog/Underdog 

Invictus Theatre Company Moves to Windy City Playhouse, Opens Feb. 13 with Pulitzer-winner Topdog/Underdog

Invictus Theatre Company, the seven-year-old storefront theatre company who this past year was one of the most honored organizations at the Non-Equity Jeff Awards and then lost its venue in a July 2023 fire, has announced a new home and a four-play season for 2024. Invictus will move to the Windy City Playhouse, the former producing company and venue that closed early last year.

Invictus’s first production at the Windy City Playhouse will be Suzan-Lori Parks's 2002 Pulitzer Prize winner "Topdog/Underdog," playing February 13 to March 31. Parks's drama of sibling rivalry will be directed by Aaron Reese Boseman, who led the Invictus productions of "The Mountaintop" and "A Raisin in the Sun." Boseman’s cast for the two-hander will be Mikha’el Amin (Dr. Martin Luther King in Invictus’s "The Mountaintop") and DeMorris Burrows (of Steppenwolf’s "1919").

It will be followed in May by another Pulitzer Prize winner — the first Chicago production of Tracy Letts’s play "August: Osage County" since the 2010 national tour that played the Cadillac Palace Theatre. This monumental drama of family dysfunction in rural Oklahoma had its world premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre in 2007, winning six Jeff Awards, including production of a play. It transferred to Broadway in 2008, where it won five Tony Awards, including Best Play. Invictus Artistic Director Charles Askenaizer, winner of the 2023 Jeff Award (Non-Equity Wing) for his direction of Invictus’s "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wool?" will direct. "August: Osage County" will play from May 28 to July 14.

In August, Askenaizer will also direct the Chicago premiere of Lee Hall’s adaptation of the Academy-Award-winning "Network." Hall’s adaptation of the screenplay by Paddy Chayefsky premiered in London in 2017 and opened on Broadway in 2018. The story concerns a network television anchorman who is fired for his declining ratings but becomes embraced by the public as a symbol of their collective angst. Chayefsky’s 1976 screenplay was prescient in its foretelling of television’s adoption of reality-based programming and exploitation of grievances. "Network" will run from August 13 to September 29.  

Invictus will continue its tradition of presenting intimate productions of Shakespeare with its season-closing presentation of "Macbeth," the Bard’s tale of the seductive nature of power that combines Scottish history with magical realism. The tragedy’s three witches who warn Macbeth about his future will make their first appearance just before Halloween, with previews beginning on October 29 and playing through December 15.

"Macbeth" will be directed by Sarafina Vecchio, a Chicago-based actor, director, and educator who is an adjunct faculty member of The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Vecchio holds a Post Graduate Award in Teaching Shakespeare from The University of Warwick (in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company) in Coventry, England and has been a guest instructor to Ontario, Canada's Stratford Festival. Chicago Stage and Screen praised Vecchio’s text coaching for Invictus’s "Julius Caesar" for being “as modern sounding as your favorite political podcast. You have heard these speeches before but never like this. This is a Caesar for everyone.”

Askenaizer says, “We’re looking forward to returning to production with another season of powerful, emotional dramas. We will take full advantage of the flexible space in our new home at Windy City Playhouse to develop creative staging for our shows.”

Invictus Theatre Company has been one of the most notable success stories among Chicago’s storefront theatres in spite of the challenges facing the theater community in recent years. When the pandemic shut down in-person performances just three years after the company’s founding, they responded with a thrillingly intimate Zoom production of ‘NIGHT, MOTHER. They returned from the pandemic by acquiring their own space – the former Jackalope Frontier Theater – which they renamed in honor of the late founding company member Reginald Vaughn. In that space, they continued to build a reputation for intimate and honest interpretations of classics with fidelity to the original texts and close attention to character development. The company’s extraordinarily successful 2021-22 season netted the company five Jeff Awards for its 13 nominations.

The company continued its upward trajectory during its 2022-23 season. That season began with intimate, yet full-scale stagings of the epics "Julius Caesar" and "The Crucible" along with the two-hander "The Mountaintop." Buzz Center Stage’s Wesley David said in reviewing "Julius Caesar," “Invictus Theatre Company is quickly becoming one of my favorite venues in Chicago,” and of "The Mountaintop" said “They constantly exceed their reach. I have to remind myself this is a storefront theatre.” The Chicago Reader said of "The Crucible," "This is a production that grabs an audience in the first seconds, pulls us in, and doesn’t let go until the final lights go out.”

Tickets for Invictus's 2024 season will be available soon at www.invictustheatreco.com

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Wednesday, 20 December 2023 17:06

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY is On Sale

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY is On Sale

Broadway In Chicago and Runaway Entertainment are pleased to announce that individual tickets for Girl From The North Country will be on sale tomorrow, Friday, December 15. Ticket prices will range from $35 - $119 with a select number of premium tickets available. Girl From The North Country will perform a strictly limited engagement from Tuesday, February 13 to Sunday, February 25, 2024, at the CIBC Theatre. Additional ticket information and the performance schedule are below.

It's 1934 in Duluth, Minnesota. We meet a group of wayward travelers whose lives intersect in a guesthouse filled with music, life and hope. Experience this 'profoundly beautiful' production (The New York Times) brought to vivid life by an extraordinary company of actors and musicians.

ABOUT GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY

Written and directed by celebrated playwright Conor McPherson and featuring Tony Award-winning orchestrations by Simon Hale, GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY reimagines 20 legendary songs of Bob Dylan as they've never been heard before, including "Forever Young," "All Along The Watchtower," "Hurricane," "Slow Train Coming," and "Like A Rolling Stone." 

The Girl From The North Country acting company includes Alan Ariano (Dr. Walker), David Benoit (Mr. Burke), Ben Biggers (Gene Laine), Paul Blankenship (Offstage Cover), Jennifer Blood (Elizabeth Laine), Ashley D. Brooks (Ensemble), Justin Michael Duval (Ensemble), Rayla Garske (Swing), Matt Manuel (Joe Scott), Kelly McCormick (Ensemble), Sharaé Moultrie (Marianne Laine), Hosea Mundi (Ensemble) Warren Nolan Jr. (Swing), Ali Regan (Swing), Jay Russell (Mr. Perry), John Schiappa (Nick Laine), Chiara Trentalange (Kate Draper), Danny Vaccaro (Swing), Jill Van Velzer (Mrs. Burke), Jeremy Webb (Reverend Marlowe), Aidan Wharton (Elias Burke) and Carla Woods (Mrs. Neilsen). Casting subject to change. 

Girl From The North Country features scenic and costume design by Rae Smith; orchestrations, arrangements, and music supervision by Simon Hale, with additional arrangements by Simon Hale and Conor McPherson; lighting design by Mark Henderson; sound design by Simon Baker; movement direction by Lucy Hind; associate direction by Barbara Rubin; and music direction by Timothy Splain.

Girl From The North Country's Original Broadway Cast Album was a 2022 GRAMMY Award® nominee for "Best Musical Theater Album."

For more information visit www.northcountrytour.com

X: @NorthCountryBwy  ● Facebook: @NorthCountryBroadway  ● Instagram: @northcountrybroadway 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

WEEK ONE

Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 7:00 pm

Wednesday, Feb 14 at 7:00 pm

Thursday, Feb 15 at 7:00 pm

Friday, Feb 16 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, Feb 17 at 2 pm

Saturday, Feb 17 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, Feb 18 at 1 pm

Sunday, Feb 18 at 6:30 pm

WEEK TWO

Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7:00 pm

Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 1 pm

Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7:00 pm

Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7:00 pm

Friday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2 pm

Saturday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, Feb. 25 at 1 pm

TICKET INFORMATION

Ticket prices range from $35 - $119 with a select number of premium tickets available. Individual tickets will be available by visiting www.BroadwayInChicago.com, or going to any Broadway In Chicago venue box office. Tickets are 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..

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, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Follow @broadwayinchicago on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok 

#broadwayinchicago
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Friday, 01 September 2023 13:35

'Gypsy' - Exciting Production With An Exhilarating Take on Ambition And Family Conflict

The Cast of Gyspy

'Gypsy' is an excellent musical about a family in Vaudeville. The mother is overbearing trying to make the children, specifically the daughters, create a wildly famous act. It is at Marriott Theater in Lincolnshire, Illinois directed by Amanda Dehnert.

An initial striking character is Rose, played by Lucia Spina. She brings great energy and urgency right from the get-go that captures the audience's attention. Rose intensely rushes and pushes her children, Louise (Lauren Maria Medina) and June (Tori Heinlein), to fulfill bold theater dreams as a family. There are spirited performances at the beginning with Young Louise played by Elin Joy Seiler and Baby June played by Daryn Whitney Harrell.

The production takes an exhilarating turn at the song "Mr. Goldstone," when the family gains the connection to a powerful theater figure Mr. Goldstone played with an idiosyncratic charm by Sawyer Smith. The "Mr. Goldstone" number highlights the epic singing skills of Lucia Spina as Rose. All musical numbers have great choreography.

Another force in Act I is Tulsa, played by J'Kobe Wallace. The budding romance between Tulsa and June (Tori Heinlein) has a more carefree tenderness that is expressed in standout dance choreography. The more relaxed yet gleeful pacing of the number "All I Need Is the Girl" toward the end of Act I contrasts the relentlessness overdrive of the musical numbers starring Rose. This demonstrates the excellent quality of this production of 'Gypsy' that the pacing and sense of speed frequently varies, which makes it highly engaging for viewers.

Set design and lighting shines in Act II, where characters are constantly on tour in different areas. The stage set up demonstrates their changes in location in clear and innovative ways. The joy of many different locations, from Wichita, Kansas to New York City, adds to the charm of the Act II.

The production comes to a captivating emotional climax towards the end of Act II, powered by dialogue expertly directed by Amanda Dehnert. Dialogue between Rose, played by Lucia Spina, Herbie, played by Nathaniel Stampley, and Louise, played by Lauren Maria Medina, is extremely expressive. One of the core narratives of mother-daughter conflict and expectation is made widely resonant to all viewers by the amazing acting.

The themes of ambition, expectation, family, adventure, and joy are expressed in a thought-provoking and relevant way to all viewers.

'Gypsy' is scheduled to run Wednesdays at 1 pm and 7:30 pm, Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 4 pm and 8 pm, and Sundays at 1 pm and 5 pm. To reserve tickets, call the Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or go to tickets.marriotttheatre.com.

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