Items filtered by date: November 2007

Following is critically acclaimed productions of Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods, Kokandy Productions once again celebrates the great Stephen Sondheim with a revival of his stunning masterpiece Sunday in the Park with George, the first Chicago storefront production in over 15 years! This beloved musical will play August 13 – November 1, 2026 in the intimate Chopin Downstairs Studio, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/SundayChicago. 

Directed and choreographed by Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham with music direction by Nick Sula, Sunday in the Park with George features a book by James Lapine with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Casting will be announced shortly.

About the Production

Inspired by the painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat, Sunday in the Park with George merges past and present into beautiful, poignant truths about life, love and the creation of art. One of the most acclaimed musicals of our time, this moving study of the enigmatic painter, Georges Seurat, won a Pulitzer Prize and was nominated for an astounding ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

"Sunday in the Park with George was one of the first shows I pitched to direct when interviewing to join the company back in 2018," says Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham. "It's almost a decade later and we're finally visiting this astonishing masterpiece. It feels like the right time. The show offers us a chance to reflect on what we've been creating and to look forward at what we still hope to achieve – both as a company and as individual artists. Sunday reminds us not to linger too much on the future or the past, but to focus on the present moment, to connect with each other in real space and time. What a gift that will be. What a gift it is to be together in a room, taking in a piece of art, having communal and singular experiences at the same time."

The production team includes Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), G "Max" Maxin IV (Lighting Design), Matt Reich (Sound Design), Syd Genco (Makeup Design), Keith Ryan (Wig and Hair Design), Shane Roberie (Casting Director), Nicholas Reinhart (Production Manager), Kendyl Meyer (Stage Manager), Ethan Colish (Assistant Stage Manager), Michael Coppola (Stage Management Intern), Scot Kokandy (Executive Producer) and Derek Van Barham (Producing Artistic Director).

PRODUCTION DETAILS:

Title: Sunday in the Park with George

Book: James Lapine

Music & Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim

Director and Choreographer: Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham

Music Director: Nick Sula

Location: Chopin Downstairs Studio, 1543 W. Division St., Chicago

Dates: Previews: Thursday, August 13 – Friday, August 28, 2026

Regular run: Sunday, August 30 – Sunday, November 1, 2026

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

Tickets: Previews $28.52* general admission, $39.19* reserved seating. Regular run $55.20* general admission, $65.87* reserved seating. Students/seniors $44.52*. There will be a limited number of lower-priced tickets (with code ARTIST) available to artists for each performance. Tickets are on sale now at kokandyproductions.com or bit.ly/SundayChicago. *Ticket prices include processing fees

Sunday in the Park with George is presented through

special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

About the Artists

Derek Van Barham (Director and Choreographer) is the Producing Artistic Director of Kokandy Productions. Directing credits include Children of Eden in Concert (Broadway In Chicago), Jekyll & Hyde (BIC/Kokandy), Amélie, Into the Woods, Alice by Heart, Sweeney Todd, American Psycho, Head Over Heels (4 Jeff Awards and 3 Jeff nominations, Kokandy); Spring Awakening (Flint Rep); Rock of Ages (Metropolis); The View Upstairs (Circle Theatre); Miracle by Dan Savage, Poseidon (Hell in a Handbag) Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Carrie, Bat Boy, Merrily We Roll Along (CCPA/Roosevelt University). Choreography credits include Evil Dead (Jeff nomination), Coraline the Musical, Ghost Quartet and Shockheaded Peter (Black Button Eyes). He was previously named one of Windy City Times' 30 Under 30, and one of Newcity Magazine's 50 Players 2024 and 2026. MFA: CCPA/Roosevelt University. IG: @dvbarham

Nick Sula (Music Director) is an award-winning pianist and music director, proud to return to Kokandy Productions and the Chopin Theatre where he served as music director for the Jeff Award-winning productions of Jekyll & Hyde (Jeff Award for Outstanding Music Direction), Sweeney Todd (Jeff Award for Outstanding Music Direction), Into the Woods (Jeff Awards for Outstanding Music Direction and Orchestrations) and the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival. Other Chicago theatre music direction credits include: Octet (Raven Theatre); Anything Goes (Porchlight Music Theatre); Ghost Quartet (Black Button Eyes Productions). As a professor of musical theatre he serves as a music director, instructor and vocal coach at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.

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 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 kokandyproductions.com. 

Some theatrical experiences ask you to sit back and watch. "The Last Word" invites you to pull up a chair, have a cocktail, and tumble headfirst into a delightfully strange fever dream about life, death, friendship, and a very famous green liqueur.

Its title refers both to a classic cocktail and to the screenplay at the center of the evening, and the two become intertwined in ways that are clever, surprising, and ultimately moving. The story revolves around Chartreuse, the legendary French liqueur whose closely guarded recipe is known by only two monks at any given time. When Mike discovers one of those monks dying in the woods and is entrusted with the only known copy of the recipe, he faces an impossible choice: return it to the monastery or risk everything to preserve it himself.

Presented as a live screenplay reading, "The Last Word" (at the iO Theater on Kingsbury) cleverly blurs the line between stage play and film script. Plays are meant to be heard; screenplays are meant to be seen. It takes a special kind of theatrical imagination to make a screenplay reading compelling. Fortunately, this production understands that challenge and embraces it. Through lighting effects, sound design, music, and a constant sense of playful invention, the audience is encouraged to visualize the movie unfolding in their minds.

The evening begins with audience members seated around a long table draped in green, scripts spread out before them, and a bottle of Chartreuse placed prominently center stage like a sacred relic. As the cast settles in and begins reading, we gradually discover who these characters are and the wild journey ahead.

A great deal of credit belongs to host and narrator Declan Grogan, who guides the audience through the evening with infectious enthusiasm. Between the screenplay's four acts, Grogan pauses the action to introduce a specially crafted cocktail inspired by that portion of the story.

The first act is paired with a Chartreuse Swizzle, a bright tropical concoction made with gin, that eases the audience into the tale. The second act features a Green drink made with homemade herbal clove liqueur whose complexity mirrors the increasingly mysterious turns of the plot. A Bijou, rich and blood red, accompanies the third act as the story deepens and the stakes become more profound. Finally, the evening concludes with the iconic Last Word, the cocktail that inspired both the title and much of the play's thematic spirit. Grogan's descriptions are delivered with such enthusiasm and detail that even audience members unfamiliar with mixology may find themselves suddenly fascinated by botanical spirits, obscure liqueurs, and the mystical allure of Chartreuse itself.

The cast—James Cullinane, Rachel Thomas, Declan Grogan, Claire Glennon, Spencer Gallagher, Colleen Grogan, and Liam Mahon—fully commits to the material's offbeat humor and emotional sincerity. What initially appears to be an eccentric comedy gradually reveals deeper themes about mortality, legacy, and the connections we leave behind.

One of the evening's most unusual choices involves video montages featuring the loved ones of cast members speaking about their affection and appreciation for the cast member. At first, the device feels unexpected, even a little puzzling. Yet by the final scene, its purpose becomes crystal clear. The production's emotional threads suddenly converge, and what seemed odd earlier becomes genuinely beautiful.

In the end, "The Last Word" asks a deceptively simple question: We will all have a last word. What will yours be? The answer arrives not through grand speeches but through shared experiences, laughter, friendship, and perhaps a perfectly balanced cocktail. This is an inventive, heartfelt, and thoroughly unique theatrical experience that l have to experience again.

Highly Recommended
When: The Last Friday of the month - June 26, July 31, August 28
Where: iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury St. Chicago
Tickets: $50 general admission (Drink Package)
$20 general admission designated driver
Info: https://www.thelastwordshow.com/

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Paramount Theatre’s smash hit, immersive musical Million Dollar Quartet wrapped its spring run at downtown Aurora’s Stolp Island Theatre this past weekend. 

But “Great Balls of Fire”! Tickets are already on sale for the show’s return, October 7, 2026-January 3, 2027.  

Don’t miss the fall and holiday season comeback of Paramount’s radically unique restaging of one of the most popular jukebox musicals of all time. Paramount’s Stolp Island Theatre is located at 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, in downtown Aurora, with restaurants and easy, affordable parking just a short walk away.

Performance times are Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Exceptions: No show Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving). Added matinee Friday, November 27 at 2 p.m. No shows December 24 or 25 (Christmas Eve and Christmas). Show time Thursday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve) is at 2 p.m.

For tickets and information, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount Theatre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. All seats are $87 when purchased in person. Additional fees apply for phone and online orders. Note: Tickets and group outings make excellent holiday gifts.

Repeat audiences know, and newcomers really need to experience Paramount’s critically acclaimed, immersive Million Dollar Quartet. Both the theater and the show were custom built to create an intimate, jukebox musical experience like none before, inventively staged inside a replica of the original Sun Records studio in Memphis.

It was there, on December 4, 1956, where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins famously came together to record one of the most historic jam sessions in rock ‘n’ roll history. In Paramount’s Sun Records, the musical delivers incredible, up-close live performances of some of the best songs in rock ‘n’ roll history, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” “Hound Dog” and “Great Balls of Fire.”   

Million Dollar Quartet inaugurated Paramount’s new Stolp Island Theatre with great fanfare in July 2024. Dean Richards, WGN-TV/AM, said it was “like stepping into Sun Records where one special night took place." Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, called it “another example of how much the success of the nonprofit, audience-focused Paramount has transformed the center of Aurora into a live entertainment destination.” 

Chalk this success up to being a production that delivers on all fronts. As soon as audiences step into the lobby, they find themselves outside the legendary Sun Records recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where they can step up to the Taylor’s Good Food concession stand for affordable snacks and beverages, view displays about the history of the play and take selfies astride a vintage-style motorcycle.

Paramount Theatre is proud to host the world’s most influential name in comedy, The Second City, back for for a three-week limited engagement with The Second City presents Laughing For All The Wrong Reasons at Paramount’s intimate Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora, May 28-June 20.

Celebrating its 67th anniversary in 2026, Second City’s Laughing For All The Wrong Reasons features classic sketch comedy and songs from the company's rich history, fresh new favorites, and the signature brand of irreverent improv that The Second City is famous for. With alumni such as Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Keegan-Michael Key and Tim Robinson, The Second City has an unmatched track record of launching the careers of comedy superstars.

The cast that’ll have you laughing for all the wrong reasons features Second City’s “stars of tomorrow,” the current Second City Touring Company, featuring Emily Anderson, Avery Ford, Dani James, Max Lazerine, Dave Lyzenga, Julia Morales, and Cassidy Russell. Musical director is Sam Scheidler. Stage manager is Amanda Leo.

Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., and Saturdays at 2:30 and 8 p.m. in Paramount’s Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora. Tickets are $46. For tickets, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or until show time on show days. For group discounts, contact Melissa Striedl, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (630) 723-2461. *Prices are for in-person purchases. Additional fees apply for phone and online orders.

Studebaker Theater (Erica Berger and Jacob Harvey), P3 Productions (Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin) and Audible, in collaboration with Teatro Vista Productions, present the Chicago premiere of the acclaimed new musical Mexodus, written and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, choreographed by Tony Thomas, and directed by David Mendizábal.

Mexodus plays a limited three-week run this fall at Chicago's historic Studebaker Theater at the Fine Arts Building (410 S. Michigan Avenue) beginning November 6, 2026. Tickets go on sale next month at MexodusMusical.com.

The live-looping hip-hop musical Mexodus recently won four Lucille Lortel Awards including Outstanding Musical, four Outer Critics Circle Awards including Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical, three Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Music, one Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical, and one Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical, the first Off-Broadway musical to win the award in 30 years.

The Chicago premiere follows the musical's critically acclaimed twice-extended run at Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre in New York in 2025 and current return Off-Broadway engagement at the Daryl Roth Theatre. Mexodus is now available as an Audible Original, featuring the entire musical recorded in immersive Dolby Atmos sound design and extending its reach to millions of listeners around the world.

The Studebaker Theater engagement of Mexodus represents a homecoming for Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson. Quijada is from the Chicago area, and Robinson also lived in the city. An early workshop and developmental performances of the musical were held in Chicago in 2021 and 2023.

Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson said, "We couldn't be more excited to bring Mexodus to Chicago. Not only do we both have connections to the city, but much of the development of Mexodus happened there. Chicago, pull up!"

"The season's first must-see musical" (The Wrap), Mexodus reveals a hidden chapter of American history. You know the story of the Underground Railroad that ran North, but this show takes you on the path that ran South by crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico. "[An] electrifying theatrical experience" (The New York Times) created and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, this groundbreaking live-looped musical follows a freedom seeker and an unlikely ally as they forge a remarkable bond that transcends borders.

Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin of P3 Productions said, "After building such a strong community around the show in New York City, we're thrilled to now bring this bold, original musical to Chicago audiences, especially at the historic Studebaker Theater. It's an honor to continue sharing the show's joy, energy, and message of solidarity with a city that feels so deeply connected to the spirit of Mexodus."

Kate Navin, Audible Head of Creative Development for North America, said: "It has been an honor to share Mexodus with the world, through the Audible Original release and on stage in New York, where it once again took the city by storm. We can't wait to present Brian and Nygel's groundbreaking musical in Chicago, where this work was nurtured during its development. As the production reaches more cities across the United States and listeners globally through Audible, we're continuing to broaden and honor this important story for audiences both in the theater and beyond."

Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater Proprietor Erica Berger said, "We are beyond proud to be a Co-Producer on Mexodus, one of the most exciting new musicals in recent memory. Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson are two exceptional artists with strong ties to Chicago. The Studebaker Theater has been a creative home to innovative theater artists for more than 125 years, and bringing Mexodus home to Chicago further emphasizes our commitment to that legacy." Managing Artistic Director Jacob Harvey added, "We're actively building new pathways for how commercial productions can find a home in Chicago. Mexodus is our first co-producer credit on an Off-Broadway production, but it won't be the last. This is a new era for the Studebaker, cementing us as the premier Chicago venue for developmental and acclaimed productions alike."

Artistic Director Wendy Mateo of Teatro Vista Productions said, "Teatro Vista Productions cultivates the telling of stories that accurately reflect our community and increase the authentic representations of us on stage and screen. We are extremely honored to have been a part of the world premieres of Brian's Where Did We Sit on the Bus? and Somewhere Over the Border. So this is a full circle moment for us to help bring Brian and Nygel back to Chicago and to share the story of Mexodus with our audiences."

Mexodus was developed in previous productions at New York Stage and Film (2021), Baltimore Center Stage & Mosaic Theater Company of DC (Spring 2024), and Berkeley Repertory Theatre (Fall 2024).

The creative team for Mexodus includes Riw Rakkulchon (Scenic Design), David Mendizábal (Costume Design), Mextly Couzin (Lighting Design), Mikhail Fiksel (Looping Systems Architecture and Sound Design), Johnny Moreno (Video/Projections Design), Tony Thomas (Choreographer), and Claire Yenson, C.S.A. (Casting). Hope Villanueva is the Production Stage Manager, and theatrical supervision is by Cath Bates with general management by Pemberley Productions.

TICKETS

Tickets go on sale in June at MexodusMusical.com.

ABOUT P3 PRODUCTIONS

P3 Productions is an award-winning producing team led by Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez, and Fiona Howe Rudin, dedicated to uplifting new voices and communities. Recent Broadway productions include Call Me Izzy, Job, and How to Dance in Ohio. Upcoming: Wanted (formerly Gun & Powder), Mexodus, and The Ninth Woman. Recent Broadway and West End Co-Producing credits: Sunset Blvd, The Last Five Years, Just For Us, A Strange Loop, Orlando, and Next to Normal (West End). Learn more: www.p3.productions and follow @p3productions.nyc.

ABOUT AUDIBLE THEATER

Audible Theater makes outstanding performances and powerful storytelling available to live audiences in New York City and millions of people all over the world. Since founding in 2018, Audible Theater's dynamic mix of live and audio theater productions have been praised as "trailblazing" (Variety), "illuminating" (Forbes), and "an exemplary use of the medium" (The Observer).

Audible Theater productions have garnered more than 60 nominations and 14 wins across the theater awards landscape. More than 120 audio theater titles have released on Audible. Audible Theater has produced the multi-award-winning and seven-time Tony Award-nominated musical Dead Outlaw, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, book by Itamar Moses, conceived by David Yazbek, and directed by David Cromer; Hannah Moscovitch's play Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes starring Ella Beatty and Hugh Jackman; Sorry for Your Loss written by and starring Michael Cruz Kayne;  Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares written by and starring Laura Benanti; Alex Newell and the Gospel of a Diva written by and starring Alex Newell; Nostalgia: A Love Letter to NYC written by and starring Eva Noblezada; Girls & Boys starring Carey Mulligan; Harry Clarke starring Billy Crudup; and many others at Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City. Audible Theater has also produced audio adaptions of acclaimed plays including Colman Domingo's Wild with Happy  starring Domingo, Oprah Winfrey, Sharon Washington, Alex Newell, and Tyler James Williams; David Henry Hwang's Yellow Face starring Daniel Dae Kim and Jason Biggs; David Auburn's Summer, 1976 starring Laura Linney and Jessica Hecht; and many more.

In May 2018, Audible announced that the Minetta Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village would serve as its creative home for live performances in New York, with Audible members receiving exclusive access to discounted tickets and related audio content. Since then, Audible has hosted and produced a wide variety of live performances at the Minetta Lane including dramatic plays, comedic shows, original musical performances, and more.

Since June 2017, Audible has commissioned 50 playwrights to receive support from its $5 million Emerging Playwrights Fund dedicated to developing innovative English-language works from around the globe. The initiative enables the creation of original plays driven by language and voice, keeping with Audible's core commitment to elevate listening experiences through powerful performances and extraordinary vocal storytelling. Emerging Playwrights commissions have included Evil Eye by Madhuri Shekar, The Half-Life of Marie Curie by Lauren Gunderson, Good Enemy by Yilong Liu, and more.

ABOUT AUDIBLE, INC.

Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, offering global audiences a powerful way to enhance and enrich their lives through extraordinary content. Audible's catalog includes more than 1,000,000 audio titles, including Audible Originals as well as audiobooks and podcasts from leading studios, print, audio and magazine publishers and world-renowned entertainers.

ABOUT THE STUDEBAKER THEATER

Located inside Chicago's landmarked Fine Arts Building, the Studebaker Theater is one of the city's most historic performance venues, led by Erica Berger and Jacob Harvey. Since its curtain first rose in 1898, the Studebaker stage has been graced by luminaries including Bob Hope, Peter O'Toole, Mae West, Ethel Barrymore, Geraldine Page, Vincent Price and many more. Following a major multi-million-dollar renovation led by Berger Realty Group and completed in 2022, the Studebaker has been home to NPR's popular news quiz show "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" and has hosted performances from new musicals including 44: The Obama Musical, Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile, and Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. Other recent productions include Ava: The Secret Conversations starring Elizabeth McGovern and Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol. Learn more at fineartsbuilding.com.

ABOUT TEATRO VISTA PRODUCTIONS

When the Chicago theater world wasn't ready for us, Teatro Vista Productions made space. For 35 years, we've told true stories that reflect our community. We're not just building on this amazing legacy; we are strengthening and expanding it for the future. Today we continue to actively engage in advocacy that seeks to increase the authentic representations of us on stage and screen. Teatro Vista Productions is led by Lorena Diaz (Executive Director), Wendy Mateo (Artistic Director) Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel (Associate Artistic Director) and Carina E. Sanchez (Board President).

Teatro Vista Productions believes artists of color are inherently genius across disciplines, experiences, media and diaspora. We center our collective of artists at the heart of everything we do. We empower them to create with their own voice by providing the tools and resources they need to thrive in the industry. Our work is timely, relevant and reflects our community. Now, as always, We Are Theater With A View. Join us across online channels at @teatrovista to experience the multidisciplinary talents of our Artistic Collective and visit teatrovista.org to stay connected to all things TVP. Pa'lante Juntos. Forward Together.

About Face Theatre is proud to announce its 32nd season featuring the Pulitzer Prize winning musical A Strange Loop and the Midwest Premiere of i never asked for a gofundme by Jayne Deely, directed by About Face Theatre Producing Artistic Director Megan Carney. In addition, the company continues its innovative touring performances and education programs throughout the region.

"About Face Theatre has always been a home for stories that challenge and affirm. The season ahead is no exception," states Megan Carney, Producing Artistic Director for About Face Theatre. "With these groundbreaking and exuberant works, we are continuing our legacy of centering fearless, joyful, and necessary LGBTQ+ voices. I can't wait to share these productions with Chicago audiences."

Overview of the Season

All performances will take place on the Johnson Stage at Raven Theatre, 6157 N Clark St in Chicago. Tickets for individual shows go on sale one month before previews at https://aboutfacetheatre.com. Secure your spot early by joining the About Face Futurists. To find out more about this monthly donor program, please visit aboutfacetheatre.com/support-us.

Showtimes are Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30pm, and Sun at 3:00pm.

A Strange Loop
book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
directed by About Face Theatre Artistic Associate Mikael Burke

In a co-production with Raven Theatre
October 8-November 8, 2026
 

Up first in October, About Face Theatre proudly presents the Chicago premiere of the Broadway smash hit A Strange Loop with book, music, and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson and Directed by About Face Theatre Artistic Associate Mikael Burke. This groundbreaking show won Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical at the 2022 Tony Awards. This is a co-production with Raven Theatre.

Usher is a Black, queer playwright who spends his days working as an usher on Broadway. He spends his nights struggling to write an original musical about a Black, queer playwright who spends his days working as an usher on Broadway. Lines blur, thoughts intrude, and soon he finds himself wrestling to break free from a very strange creative loop.This blistering, groundbreaking, Pulitzer Prize winning musical explores identity, race and sexuality through the lens of a young artist at war with a chorus of his own demons and inner voices on a journey towards understanding and self love.

i never asked for a gofundme
by Jayne Deely
directed by About Face Theatre Producing Artistic Director Megan Carney
March 18 – April 17, 2027
Thursday, March 25, 2027 at 7:30pm

Millie and Avery return to Millie's hometown in Alabama seeking a quiet refuge for Avery's recovery from gender-affirming top surgery. One big misunderstanding spirals into a full-blown small-town spectacle in this hilarious and heartfelt comedy. Set against the backdrop of March Madness and the electric energy of WNBA season, the stakes keep rising. As the donations pile up and the pressure mounts, the couple is forced to confront what they truly stand to lose by telling the truth.

This remarkable new play was featured at La Jolla Latinx New Play Festival and the Distillery New Works Festival with Seattle Public Theater. The play was a Finalist at the National Playwrights Conference Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.

Mikael Burke (he/him), director of A Strange Loop, is a Chicago-based director, deviser, and educator. A Princess Grace Award-winner in Theatre and Jeff Award-winning director, his recent credits include: Oak by Terry Guest (Urbanite Theatre, World Premiere); Othello by William Shakespeare (Theatreworks Colorado Springs); Short Shakes! Romeo & Juliet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Notes from the Field by Anna Deveare Smith (TimeLine Theatre, Chicago Premiere); The Salvagers by Harrison David Rivers (Yale Repertory Theatre, World Premiere); Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris (Refracted Theatre Company, Chicago Premiere, winner of 8 Jeff Awards); Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company); The Magnolia Ballet by Terry Guest (About Face Theatre, Chicago Premiere, winner of 2 Jeff Awards); Clyde's by Lynn Nottage (Theaterworks Hartford). Mikael is also an adjunct faculty member at DePaul University and Roosevelt University. MFA, The Theatre School at DePaul University | mklburke.com

Megan Carney (she/her), director of i never asked for a gofundme, is the Producing Artistic Director of About Face Theater in Chicago, a company dedicated to advancing LGBTQ+ equity through community building, education, and performance. She has worked extensively as a director, playwright, and teaching artist. Megan's work as a director and playwright has premiered in Chicago, New York, and through touring productions around the country including Audrey Cefaly's The Gulf (About Face Theatre) Danielle Pinnock's Body/Courage (Rivendell), Lisa Dillman's The Walls (Rivendell at Steppenwolf), and Holly Hughes' Let Them Eat Cake (Dixon Place, NYC) among many others. Megan served as the Director of the Gender and Sexuality Center, one of the Centers for Cultural Understanding and Social Change, at the University of Illinois at Chicago where she produced cultural programs and advanced inclusive policies. Carney is a certified mediator with the Center for Conflict Resolution and has a MFA in Theatre Arts from Virginia Tech with a focus on Directing and Public Dialogue. Her work has been recognized with theatre industry awards, the GLSEN Pathfinder Award, an APA Presidential Citation, and induction in Chicago's LGBT Hall of Fame.

Jayne Deely (they/them), writer of i never asked for a gofundme, is a Queens, NY born and bred boricua playwright and performer. Selected works: Legacy, When Pluto was a planet, I never asked for a gofundme, Walter Mercado Presents: A Queer Puerto Rican (Not Just) Christmxs Spectacular, and unqle play. Their plays have been developed with Seattle Public Theatre, the New Harmony Project, Breaking the Binary, Fresh Ground Pepper, theatre b, American Stage, Renaissance Theaterworks, and others. They were recently named to the Kilroy's Web 25-26 (for I never asked for a gofundme) and are currently under commission with a Sloan grant from EST. Jayne is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and the Dramatists Guild, and is based in Queens, NY. MFA, IU Bloomington.

Michael R. Jackson, writer of A Strange Loop, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, composer, and lyricist is the creator of A Strange Loop, which the New York Times has called a "bravura meta-musical." The piece – which took Jackson eighteen years to create – won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2020, eleven Tony Award nominations, a New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and two Tony Awards – for Best New Musical and Best Book. Jackson has been named one of TIME Magazine's "100 Most Influential People" (2022) and has received numerous awards including a New Professional Theatre Festival Award, a Jonathan Larson Grant, a Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, an ASCAP Foundation Harold Adamson Award, a Whiting Award, the Helen Merrill Award for Playwriting, the Windham-Campbell Prize, and a Dramatist Guild Fellowship. He has appeared on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, CBS Sunday Morning, and Late Night with Seth Meyers, to name a few. He wrote book, music, and lyrics for the musicals White Girl In Danger and A Strange Loop (2019 world premiere at Playwrights Horizons in co-production with Page 73 Productions). Jackson holds a BFA and MFA in playwriting and musical theatre writing from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

RAVEN THEATRE is proud to be a cultural cornerstone of Chicago's north side, where its artistic excellence is known among theatergoers and artists alike. Long acclaimed for its revivals of classic plays, Raven also gives voice to emerging playwrights whose work will help to shape the theatrical canon for years to come. Founded in 1983, Raven moved into its current home in 2002 with its 85-seat Johnson Stage and its 56-seat Schwartz Stage.

ABOUT FACE THEATRE advances LGBTQ+ equity through community building, education, and performance. Since our founding in 1995, we've been a national leader in producing groundbreaking theater throughout Chicago that centers and affirms people who identify as LGBTQ+ and other intersecting identities. Working with nationally recognized and emerging artists of all ages, our programs include award-winning productions, touring shows, a Youth Ensemble, and new work development through Re/Generation Studio. Learn more and get involved at aboutfacetheatre.com.

Broadway In Chicago will bring its free annual SUMMER CONCERT to Millennium Park on Monday, August 10, 2026. Sponsored by ABC 7 Chicago, the concert begins at 6:15 p.m. at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion (201 E. Randolph St.) and is presented in partnership with the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).

The one night only event will feature performances from current and upcoming Broadway In Chicago productions, including THE NOTEBOOK, which will already be in performances at the James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph St.), and THE OUTSIDERS, which will already be in performances at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.), along with selections from WAITRESS and subscription titles JEKYLL & HYDE (Kokandy Productions), DIRTY DANCING: THE MUSICAL, OPERATION MINCEMEAT: A NEW MUSICAL, JERSEY BOYS, and MAYBE HAPPY ENDING . Additional shows will be announced later this summer.

Presented in collaboration with DCASE, the Broadway In Chicago Summer Concert is part of Millennium Park’s summer season, showcasing symphonic music, dance, opera, and Broadway favorites performed by some of Chicago’s leading cultural institutions. For more information, visit millenniumpark.org and follow Millennium Park on Facebook (@MillenniumParkChicago), Twitter, and Instagram (Millennium_Park).

For more information on the Summer Concert and Broadway In Chicago, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT MILLENNIUM PARK
Millennium Park is an iconic cultural destination in Chicago's downtown. The anchor of an urban cultural campus (Millennium Park Campus) that includes the Chicago Cultural Center, Maggie Daley Park and The Art Institute of Chicago, the park is the #1 attraction in the Midwest and among the top ten most-visited sites in the United States. Millennium Park is located on Michigan Avenue, bordered by Randolph St. to the north, Columbus Dr. to the east and Monroe St. to the south. The Park is open 6 a.m.–11 p.m. daily. For the latest news and events, download the Millennium Park app, visit millenniumpark.org , like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, @Millennium_Park. 

ABOUT CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, our programs and events serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, downtown and in diverse communities across our city — to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city’s most iconic festivals, markets, events, and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and in communities across the city — serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports TV and film production and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago. For details, visit Chicago.gov/DCASE and  stay connected via our newsletters and social media . 

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 26 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.
Follow @broadwayinchicago on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky #broadwayinchicago

Lookingglass Theatre Company presents Ice Cream Circus! 2026, a free, family-friendly theatrical event presented as part of the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks series. Created in association with Actors Gymnasium, Ice Cream Circus! tours parks across Chicago and Evanston June 2 – 7, 2026.

A wordless story of wonder, kindness, and play, Ice Cream Circus! combines dance, clown, and circus arts to tell an original story designed for audiences of all generations and language backgrounds. Performed outdoors in neighborhood parks, the production celebrates the transformative magic of a simple act of kindness.

"Traveling to the parks throughout Chicago these past few summers has been balm for the soul," comments Artistic Director Kasey Foster. "When we can bring a live theatre experience to families, some for the first time, we see why live performance is essential to the human experience. There is awe and there is wonder, yes, but most impactful, there is community."

Ice Cream Circus! is created and directed by Kasey Foster and Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, in collaboration with the cast: Kaitlyn Andrews, Alexander D'Amazing, Kat Hoil, Julie Matolo, and Jacinda Ratcliffe. Ice Cream Circus! was inspired by workshops with over 600 Chicago Public School students and community members including Communities in Schools Chicago, Chicago Help Initiative, Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago, Trumbull Park Line Dancers, Austin Town Hall Cheerleaders, PODER, and students at Dyett High School for the Arts, Solorio Academy High School, and Palmer, Hurley, Tilton, Parker, New Sullivan, Libby, Webster, Mozart, and Earle Elementary.  

All performances are free and open to the public, with no RSVP required. Neighborhood ice cream vendors will be present at each performance, with treats available for purchase. Audiences are encouraged to bring blankets and/or chairs for outdoor seating. In the event of inclement weather, performances will move indoors to park fieldhouses at each location. Updates and weather-related announcements will be posted on Lookingglass Theatre Company's social media channels and website. Additional information is available at lookingglasstheatre.org.

Performance Dates and Locations
Tuesday, June 2 at 5:00 p.m. — Seneca Park, 220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago
Wednesday, June 3 at 5:00 p.m. — Trumbull Park, 2400 E. 105th St, Chicago
Thursday, June 4 at 5:00 p.m. — Gage Park, 2411 W. 55th St, Chicago
Friday, June 5 at 5:00 p.m. — Columbus Park, 500 S. Central Ave, Chicago
Sunday, June 7 at 4:00 p.m. — Tallmadge Park, 927 Noyes St, Evanston

Ice Cream Circus is made possible by the generous support of our collaborators and partners Chicago Park District, Actors Gymnasium, ComEd Powering  the Arts, and Marc, Maureen, and Elana Schulman.

About Lookingglass Theatre Company

Founded in 1988 by graduates of Northwestern University, Lookingglass Theatre Company is a nationwide leader in the creation and presentation of new, cutting-edge theatrical works and in sharing its ensemble-based theatrical techniques with Chicago-area students and teachers through Education and Community Programs. Guided by an artistic vision centered on the core values of collaboration, transformation and invention, Lookingglass seeks to capture audiences' imaginations leaving them changed, charged and empowered. Recipient of the 2011 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Lookingglass has built a national reputation for artistic excellence and ensemble-based theatrical innovation.

Notable world premieres include Mary Zimmerman's Tony Award-winning Metamorphoses, J. Nicole Brooks' Her Honor Jane Byrne, David Schwimmer's adaptation of Studs Terkel's Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel about the American Obsession, Matthew C. Yee's Lucy and Charlie's Honeymoon, Atra Asdou's Iraq, But Funny, and David Catlin's circus tribute to Lewis Carroll, Lookingglass Alice, which was captured by HMS Media and reached 1.6 million PBS viewers. Lookingglass Alice is now available to more than four million students worldwide through Digital Theatre+. Work created by Lookingglass artists has been produced in Australia, Europe and throughout the United States.

The South Florida based YI Love Jewish and Chicago-based Arts Judaica proudly join forces to present a limited engagement of the Chicago Premiere production of L. M. Feldman's acclaimed theatrical mosaic A PEOPLE, at Theater Wit. A PEOPLE will be directed by world renowned actor, director and Jewish Culture activist Avi Hoffman, who is currently directing and will star in a Yiddish-language production of DEATH OF A SALESMAN, to be performed in Bucharest, Romania on May 30. Hoffman will play Willy Loman, a role for which he earned a Drama Desk nomination with New York's New Yiddish Rep in 2015. 

A PEOPLE invites Chicago audiences on a magical, lyrical journey through 5,000 years of Jewish identity, heritage, and humanity, brought to life by a dynamic ensemble of performers. The ensemble portrays a range of old and new-world characters, weaving together vignettes that question, affirm, and reimagine what it means to be part of a people. Historical and fictional characters, separated by generations, meet in a surreal landscape to explore their peoples' rich history and traditions, much of which they fear will be forgotten entirely. The play will preview June 18 and 19, 2026, prior to opening on Saturday, June 20^th at 7:30 pm, and play through July 5^th at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont, Chicago. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. No performance on Saturday, July 4.

A PEOPLE playwright LM Feldman's nine full-length plays have enjoyed numerous productions across the US. Feldman's script for A PEOPLE is sometimes hilarious, sometimes searingly honest, as it weaves together old and new-world  voices to explore how all individuals wrestle with, deny, or embrace their heritage. The result is a vivid collage of characters and moments that illuminate the way we see life, the way we want it, and the way it really is.

The cast of A PEOPLE includes Jin Ai, Daniel Boughton, Freya Churchwell, Zach Kunde, Douglas Levin, Xavier Mattison, Haley Schenk, and Charity Schultz. The production team, in addition to Hoffman as director, includes Zach Stinnet (Sound Designer), Dugan Kenaz-Mara (Sets/Props/Puppet Designer), Abby Gillette (Costume Designer), Katie Mae Ryan (Stage Manager), Karen Wallace (Lighting Designer), and Elayne LeTraunik (Producer). Sabrina Lipsitz is YI Executive Director and Olivia Flynn is YI Director of Marketing. 

YI Love Jewish is a global cultural initiative that advocates for Jewish Pride, builds cultural bridges and challenges antisemitism through the arts, while celebrating and promoting Jewish history, life, and culture, and their far-reaching impact on the world.

Arts Judaica, a Chicago-based 501(c)(3), is the city's only producing organization dedicated exclusively to exploring and celebrating Jewish history, culture, and arts through live theater, music, and educational programming. Together these two Jewish cultural organizations are presenting this play at Theatre Wit, a vital Lakeview venue known for its smart, intimate 98–99-seat black box spaces; they will bring together local and national voices in an accessible, neighborhood setting.

Tickets for A PEOPLE at Theater Wit are now available, with regular weekly performances Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm, through July 5. (No performance Saturday, July 4). Tickets can be reserved online at https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/572/performances#top, via Theatre Wit's box office (773) 975-8150, or in person at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657.

A PEOPLE
By L M Feldman
Directed by Avi Hoffman
June 18 – July 5, 2026
Press Opening Saturday, June 20 at 7:30 pm
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm.
No performance Saturday, July 4
Tickets will be $32 with group rates of 10 or more at $30
Opening will be a VIP special for $100.

Tickets can be reserved online at https://www.theaterwit.org/tickets/productions/572/performances#top or via Theater Wit's box office (773) 975-8150, or in person at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
More information at www.artsjudaica.com
 
A PEOPLE is a magical, lyrical journey into heritage, tradition, religion and humanity. Through vignettes, music and monologues, L M Feldman holds up a mirror to 5000 years of Jewish history, reminding us that we're all descendants from somewhere, and we choose to embrace our lineage, deny it, or wrestle with it. Hilarious and terrifyingly honest.

JK Entertainment is proud to announce the final production of their inaugural season: HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, the cult-classic created by John Cameron Mitchell (Text) and Stephen Trask (Music and Lyrics). The production will run from July 9 through July 26 at the Catalyst Ranch (648 W. Randolph St.), following the 25th anniversary of the film. This bold new staging, directed by Arlo Kiss with music directed by Jonathan James, will feature a distinctive rotating-cast approach, with three actors alternating through each role across performances. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.jkentertainment.org/tickets.

Loud, glitter-soaked, and unapologetically raw, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is a genre-defying rock musical about identity, heartbreak, and the messy, human search for wholeness. This production features three performers rotating through the roles each night, shattering the idea of a single Hedwig and revealing something deeper: this story isn't owned by one voice—it lives in all of us.

Arlo Kiss, director, said "Hedwig and the Angry Inch is ultimately driven by the human need to find purpose, connection, and wholeness through the people we love and the pain that comes when we struggle to find that wholeness reflected back to us. 

For this production, I wanted to explore a rotating-cast approach as a way to reflect the fragmentation at the heart of Hedwig's journey, while also giving actors the opportunity to form uniquely vulnerable connections with each other. Three actors rotate through all three roles, with each performance revealing a different facet of the collective Hedwig experience. As the cast shifts from show to show, the relationships evolve into a cycle of passion, heartbreak, and reflection. Each night, Hedwig steps onto the stage, tells her story and then passes the torch (or rather the wig) to the next punk rock icon. No two performances will be exactly alike in look, sound, or emotional texture. Instead, each interpretation aims to offer an authentic, interconnected, and fresh reflection of this extraordinary story."

Part rock concert, part confession, Hedwig takes the stage to tell her story—of East Berlin, a botched surgery, and a love that split her wide open. Driven by a live band and iconic anthems like "The Origin of Love" and "Midnight Radio," the show is fierce, funny, and emotionally unfiltered.

JK Entertainment will donate $1 of every ticket sold to The Trevor Project, honoring the show's legacy and investing in a future where every identity is seen, valued, and free.

The rotating cast for HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH will be announced on June 10. 

JK Entertainment's production of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is directed by Arlo Kiss with music direction by Jonathan James. 

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com

TICKET INFORMATION AND PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Individual tickets priced at $35 and group sales for 5 or more are available now. For audiences interested in experiencing all three interpretations of the production, a special three-show package will be available beginning at $85 starting June 10, when the designated casts for each performance will be announced. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit www.JKEntertainment.org/theatre/hedwig. 

ABOUT JK ENTERTAINMENT
JK Entertainment is a Chicago-based nonprofit producing theatre, film, music, and other media for audiences who think differently. Founded by Jonathan James and co-founded by Kyle Reid Hass and Olivia Kaye Da Silva, in the wake of a sold-out Chicago run of The Outsiders, the company champions bold, boundary-pushing work at the intersection of art and activism.

To learn more about JK Entertainment and keep up with future projects visit jkentertainment.orgFollow JK Entertainment on Instagram, TikTok, and  Facebook  #jkentertainment