Items filtered by date: November 2007

Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia, along with Broadway In Chicago announced today that Tony Award® winner J. Harrison Ghee will star as “Mary Todd Lincoln” when Oh, Mary! comes to Chicago for a strictly limited engagement from January 19— February 7, 2027, at Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre. Additional casting will be announced in the coming months.

Reservations for groups of 10+ are available now by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling 312-977-1710. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Individual tickets, with a select number of premium seats available, will go on sale to the public at a later date but audiences can register online at https://cloud.response.broadwayinchicago.com/oh-mary-email-sign-up to receive first access when tickets become available. Subscribers may add tickets to their subscription by clicking here  or calling (312) 977-1717. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

“I have seen Oh, Mary! three times and relished the beauty of this show—how different people shine so brightly in these roles, and yet you see the influence of Cole all over the production. The opportunity to get a crack at Mary Todd Lincoln is beyond a dream come true,” said J. Harrison Ghee. “We all possess so much within us. If we surrender to circumstances, we will find the possibility for expansion beyond belief. We are going to set the road on fire with this electrifyingly hilarious play.”

Written by Tony and Olivier Award winner Cole Escola and directed by Tony Award winner Sam Pinkleton, Oh, Mary! opened on Broadway on July 11, 2024, and continues to play at the Lyceum Theatre, where it became the first show in the theatre’s 121-year history to gross more than $1,000,000 in a single week.

Oh, Mary! has since broken its own box office record thirteen times and became the first show of the 2024-25 Broadway season to recoup its investment. Oh, Mary! opened to rave reviews in London’s West End on December 18, 2025, and won the 2026 Olivier Award for Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play.

Oh, Mary! is a dark comedy about a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Unrequited yearning, alcoholism, and suppressed desires abound in this one-act play that finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of an idiot (playwright Cole Escola).

The full creative team includes dots (Scenic Designer), Holly Pierson (Costume Designer), Cha See (Lighting Designer), Daniel Kluger (Sound Design and Original Music), Drew Levy (Sound Designer), Leah J. Loukas (Wig Designer), Addison Heeren (Props Supervision), and David Dabbon (Musical Arrangements). Casting by Henry Russell Bergstein, CSA.

Oh, Mary! is produced by Kevin McCollum & Lucas McMahon and Mike Lavoie & Carlee Briglia with Bob Boyett, The Council, Jean Doumanian Productions, Nicole Eisenberg, Jay Marcus & George Strus, Irony Point, Richard Batchelder/Bradley Reynolds, Tyler Mount/Tommy Doyle, Nelson & Tao, Palomares Miller & Rosenberg, and ShowTown Productions.
 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT OH, MARY!

“You’ll be losing your mind with joy.” —The New York Times, Critic’s Pick

"The funniest show on Broadway.” —New York Post

“★★★★★ The funniest play in years. Oh, Mary! is dizzyingly, breathtakingly funny, the kind of funny that ambushes your body into uncontained laughter.” —Time Out New York

“A singular work of virtuoso comedy that is as inventive and shrewd as it is absolutely stupid.” —The Daily Beast

“There’s funny, there’s very funny, and then there’s Oh, Mary!” —Deadline

“80 minutes of almost uninterrupted laughter. A work of genius.” —The Hollywood Reporter

“Unquestionably the funniest, gayest, campiest play Broadway has seen in years.” —Variety

“Oh, Mary!‘s sharp writing, breakneck pace, and campy performances keep the theater in hysterics until the curtain falls.” —Queerty
 

CONNECT WITH OH, MARY!
@OhMaryPlay
OhMaryPlay.com

The nonprofit service organization 3Arts announces the date for its annual 3Arts Awards Celebration, a festive evening of dynamic performances by Chicago artists and the announcement of the recipients of unrestricted grants to artists working in the performing, teaching, and visual arts. The 2026 3Arts Awards Celebration takes place at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance (205 E Randolph) on Monday, October 26, at 5:30pm. Tickets for the event, which includes a welcome reception, awards program, and a jubilant after-party, are $150 (general admission) and $300 (VIP) with a limited number of $50 tickets available for industry professionals. Tickets will be available at 3arts.org/tickets in early September. Funds raised during the event will be split between 3Arts and Chicago nonprofit, Center for Native Futures.

"When artists rise, communities rise with them,” says Cat Tager, Executive Director of 3Arts. "Because art isn't a luxury; it's a foundation of any thriving community. As we head into our 20th year in 2027, we are looking forward to celebrating the milestone of putting $10 million directly into the hands of Chicago artists, and to continuing our mission to provide the critical programming that helps those artists to experiment, to take risks, and to elevate our communities.”

Thirty-six artists will be honored at this year’s program, which distributes unrestricted awards across three categories: the 3Arts Awards ($30,000 each), Next Level Awards ($50,000 each), and the peer-selected Make a Wave Awards ($2,000 each). The celebratory evening will also feature powerful performances by three past 3Arts awardees.

Expanded for 2026, the Next Level Awards will now include two awards in Music and two in Theater, made possible by support from the Paul Angell Foundation. This marks the first time these unrestricted grants will be available to musicians and theater artists, following the initiative's initial launch in Visual Arts (2020) and subsequent expansion into Teaching Arts.

3Arts has distributed more than $10 million in grants to more than 3,050 artists since 2007. 3Arts awardees reflect 66% women artists, 74% artists of color, and 17% Deaf or disabled artists.

2026 3Arts Awards Celebration

Dates:                 Monday, October 26, 2026

                              5:30pm Welcome Reception

                              6:30pm Awards Celebration and Performances

                              7:45pm After Party

Location:           Harris Theater for Music and Dance

                              205 East Randolph Drive

Tickets:              Tickets are $50-$300 and can be purchased in early September at 3arts.org/tickets and via the Harris Theater Box Office at 312.334.7777.

About 3Arts

Founded in 1912 with a history centered on women artists and reimagined as an arts service organization in 2007, 3Arts supports artists in the Chicago metropolitan and greater Carbondale areas working in the performing, teaching, and visual arts, including women-identified artists, artists of color, and Deaf and disabled artists. The 3Arts Awards were launched in 2007 to provide unrestricted awards, project funding, residencies, professional development opportunities, and promotion to help artists take creative risks, build sustainable careers, and contribute to the cultural vitality of Chicago and the broader region.

3Arts extends special thanks to the 2026 Award Partners: The HMS Fund, The SIF Fund at the Chicago Community Foundation, Stan Lipkin & Evelyn Appell Lipkin, and MSU Federal Credit Union.

One of the ten 3Arts Awards, the 2026 3Arts/MSUFCU Community Award celebrates the collective generosity of artists and supporters across Chicago, whose contributions made the award possible.

3Arts also recognizes support for the Next Level Awards from an anonymous donor at The Chicago Community Foundation, the Paul Angell Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

For more information about 3Arts, please visit www.3arts.org.

A new company, Heart of Gold Theatre, is presenting the Chicago premiere of Mike Barlett’s An Intervention. Bartlett is a noted British playwright, whose future-conjectural work Charles III received five Tony nominations in 2016, including Best New Play. Bartlett’s Cock (2009) and its companion work Bull (2013) played to accolades off-Broadway in New York. 

Directed by Aaron Henrickson and just 75 minutes long in five acts, An Intervention is played against a velvet curtain with no set, intended by Bartlett to resemble a vaudeville comedy act. There we see two 30-something friends: character A is played by a sparkling Amanda Egle and B is played more circumspectly by Taylor Adams. They are caught in the middle of an energized, fast-paced repartee that when we first see them has been reduced to single-word declamations and terse phrases (“Oh.” “Yeah.” ‘You - “ “Yup.”) 

Their tone conveys a dispute of some kind, but the audience doesn’t yet know what it’s about. “I don’t believe it,” says A; “Well it’s true,” B retorts. Context soon reveals it is over the matter of a military intervention in a Middle East war. 

First performed in 2014, it was a period that saw the rise of ISIS, the Gaza War by Israel against Palestine, and the entry of the U.S.-led coalition into Iraq, among other conflicts. But the timeliness (and unfortunate timelessness) of the setting makes An Intervention very much of-the-moment. 

The character A, we learn, has just come back from a protest against the intervention, only to learn that B, whom she counts as a trusted friend, supports it. He even encourages it to happen. She is crestfallen, and the argument moves on to the nature of their friendship.

Stepping down from the stage with one foot, B gives us his take on A in a lengthy aside. Later A will do likewise about  B. So the argument is no longer centered on the politics or justice of the impending military action, but about how these two feel about each other. 

What we see are two friends whose friendship is based on loving to argue. Well, actually, it’s a bit more than that. Because they love to argue about politics, for example, their regular argumentative battlegrounds form a vehicle for intimacy. 

Subsequent acts—here are five in this tightly wound show—reveal more about their lives at large. Periodically the two reach through the curtains for props - a harmonica, wine glasses, and lots of liquor. The two also take issue with each other's personal lives. B charges A with being an alcoholic (another type of intervention), while A argues against B’s romance with a “harridan” and soon their friendship reaches a breaking point.

Many months later, in the last act, the threads are tied together in such a satisfying resolution that the continuously puzzling nature of that opening scene is successfully explained. 

Adams, the founder and artistic director of Heart of Gold and (full disclosure) a personal friend, has brought us a play for the moment. When we argue, as Adams tells us in the program, aren’t we asking, “Why aren’t you the person I want you to be? Why can’t you be … less like that?” 

Bartlett has written a “thinking” play in An Intervention, in which the dramatic tensions are equally “characters” in the work. So producer and co-star Adams has given us a deft bit of dramaturgy in bringing it to  Chicago audiences. 

The play examines the timely matter of how human beings can engage each other while bearing deeply held convictions that conflict. Nothing could be more important to our civic life than to seek guidance and clarity on this issue, which vexes us continuously. This is what theater is for. 

The production also resurrects to the Chicago theater scene Pierce Hall in the landmark Chicago Temple Building. Pierce, fittingly, was home for the Silk Road Theatre Project, formed after 9/11 to address the challenges of backlash facing Asian, Middle Eastern, and North African communities. 

Finally, because I know this producer and actor well, I have watched most of the steps along the way in development of the performance you will see. The passion a single individual must muster to licence a worthy script from a noted author, to secure a stage, to field a corps of able actors, director, lighting, costumes, and then to publicize and market ticket sales - well as the thousands working in this field in Chicago well know - it’s not an enterprise for the faint of heart. The inevitable rise and fall of the fortunes of a single production are familiar territory for this city’s theater producers. We in the audience are spared the sturm und drang. The lights come up and a polished presentation appears, as if by magic.Though magical, a stage show takes hard hard work. 

Recommended, An Intervention runs through August 9, 2026 at 7:30 pm at Pierce Hall, the lower level theater in the Temple Building, 77 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago. 

Carmela misses her papi, because papi is missing some of his papers.

Chicago Children’s Theatre presents Carmela Full of Wishes, a moving ode to family – and dreamers – adapted from the contemporary children’s book by Newbury Award-winners Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson, the same Newbery Medal and Caldecott Honor winning team behind Last Stop on Market Street. 

Carmela Full of Wishes, a Chicago Children’s Theatre world premiere in 2022, returns to tell a warm, timely, and ultimately hopeful story about a sweet young Latina girl living in a big city who dreams of her dad getting his papers fixed so he can finally come home. 

More relevant than ever, Carmela is the first of four of “greatest childhood hits” Chicago Children’s Theatre is reviving for its 21st birthday season. Full of touching, funny fantasies, the play portrays a little girl’s big city migrant community as a vibrant world of hope and possibility. The Chicago Tribune called it “a heartwarming tale of an exuberant Latina girl that celebrates family, community and hope — perfect themes for young audiences.” f

Public performances are October 25-November 15: Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Press openings are Sunday, October 26 at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Run time is approximately one hour. Carmela Full of Dreams is recommended for ages 6 and up. Schedule exceptions: Show time Saturday, October 25 is 9:30 a.m. only;  Show times Sunday, November 8 are 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.  

Single tickets are $42 and go on sale on August 24 at chicagochildrenstheatre.org. Book early, as many shows will sell out. For group discounts, schools, playgroups, birthday parties and scouting groups are encouraged to call CCT Guest Services at (312) 374-8835 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

School groups in particular are encouraged to inquire about Chicago Children’s Theatre’s in-class R.O.A.R. Residencies connected to the world of Carmela Full of Wishes. CCT’s R.O.A.R. (Residencies of Arts and Resilience) program, rooted in trauma-informed activities and conversations, provides opportunities for students to authentically reflect on challenging or stressful situations, gain the tools for sharing with others, self care and self agency in those moments, and promote coping mechanisms, social-emotional expression and resilience. CCT’s R.O.A.R. program was developed in partnership with the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Center for Childhood Resilience. To inquire, email CCT Director Education Catherine Councell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Chicago Children’s Theatre is a “no shushing” theater. It’s located at 100 S. Racine Ave., at Monroe, in the heart of Chicago's West Loop, minutes from I-90 and I-290, downtown and Ashland Avenue. Free, onsite parking is available on the south side of the building. Free street parking can be found on weekends, or try the Impark parking lot, 1301 W. Madison St.

Finally, if you agree Chicago is the greatest theater city in the world, and that Chicago families deserve an equally great professional children’s theater, purchase a subscription to Chicago Children’s Theatre’s 2026-27 season, on sale now at chicagochildrenstheatre.org. Three more joy-inducing productions follow Carmela Full of Wishes: The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party, Manual Cinema’s Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show. Packages start at only $35.70 per show. Or, create your own mix-and-match subscription plan to match your child’s age and interests.

Access performances for Carmela Full of Wishes

Sensory Friendly
Saturday, November 7 at 9:30 a.m.

Audio Description and Touch Tour

Sunday, November 8 at 2 p.m.

*To request Audio Description and Touch Tour services, tickets must be purchased three weeks before the performance.

ASL and Open Captions
*To request ASL and/or Open Captions services, tickets must be purchased three weeks before the performance you are planning to attend.

To learn more information, go to chicagochildrenstheatre.org/access_performances or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre’s new staging of The Wizard of Oz sends audiences down the yellow brick road with a production that balances classic nostalgia with a warm, community centered spirit. Before the story unfolds, it’s worth remembering the legacy behind it: L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel first introduced readers to Dorothy and the fantastical land of Oz, but it was the landmark 1939 MGM film that transformed the tale into a cultural touchstone. Judy Garland’s performance, the Technicolor world, and the Oscar winning score cemented the story’s place in American imagination. The film’s success inspired decades of stage adaptations, culminating in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1987 musical version by John Kane, which became the foundation for most modern theatrical productions, including Metropolis’ interpretation.

Under Tor Campbell’s direction and choreography, the familiar tale unfolds with clear narrative focus: Dorothy Gale’s unexpected journey from Kansas to the magical land of Oz, where she meets the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion and joins them on a quest to reach the Emerald City and seek help from the great and powerful Wizard of Oz. Along the way, the group navigates enchanted forests, poppy fields, and the looming threat of the Wicked Witch, discovering courage, heart, and the strength of friendship as their path winds toward home.

This stage version also introduces several comedic moments you won’t find in the classic film, a choice that gives the production a fresh, playful spirit. Campbell sprinkles in light audience interaction, small winks to the crowd, and character specific jokes that open up the world of Oz in ways only live theatre can. These additions never undermine the story’s sincerity; instead, they create a sense of shared fun between the performers and the audience, reminding viewers that Oz is not just magical - it’s delightfully unpredictable when experienced onstage.

While the larger roles across the cast are played with skill and presence, three performers emerge as the evening’s defining performances: Nora Wragg’s Dorothy, Jake Elkins’ Cowardly Lion, and Genevieve Thiers’s Wicked Witch. Wragg stands at the heart of the evening, offering a Dorothy shaped by sincerity, emotional clarity, and a vocal warmth and control that give her songs an effortless lift. Her speaking voice is particularly striking, at times uncannily reminiscent of Judy Garland, deepening the role’s authenticity without ever tipping into imitation. Elkins bursts onto the stage with bold humor and irresistible personality, turning the Cowardly Lion into a crowd-pleasing force of nature. Thiers brings commanding theatrical bite to the Wicked Witch, leaning into the character’s menace with sharp timing, confident presence, and seasoned comedic instincts that add a delicious flair to her villainy.

Nora Wragg as Dorothy Gale and Jake Elkins as Cowardly Lion in THe Wizard of Oz at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre. Nora Wragg as Dorothy Gale and Jake Elkins as Cowardly Lion. Photography by Jennifer Heim.

Around them, Gabriel Fries provides steady, grounded work in his dual roles as the Wizard and Professor Marvel, shifting between Marvel’s warmth and the Wizard’s bluster with ease. David Omari’s Tin Man adds soft vulnerability that complements the ensemble, and Corey Barlow, stepping in for Nolan F. Robinson II as the Scarecrow in the performance I saw, brings relaxed, playful movement and an easy charm that keeps the character loose-limbed throughout. Adding to the production’s appeal is Caliban Marie Spence, a real-life little dog who plays Toto and becomes an instant audience favorite with every appearance, a lovely touch of authenticity that heightens the show’s sense of wonder. Caliban was trained for the role by Danielle Spence, who is delightful onstage as Glinda the Good Witch, exuding kindness, confidence, and the gentle assurance that everything will be all right. Together, these performances guide the audience through Oz with warmth, personality, and a touch of real magic.

Two of the strongest forces pulling Dorothy toward home are the deep bond she shares with her dog Toto - whom she feels is her only true companion on the lonely Kansas farm and is threatened with being destroyed by the stern, vindictive neighbor Miss Gulch, who later appears in Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West - and the steadfast love of her hardworking Aunt Em, who has stepped into the role left vacant by Dorothy’s late mother. The Wizard of Oz is also one of the few films of its era to make a four‑legged companion feel like a true co‑star, and it’s always striking to me how naturally the actors work with Toto and how deeply he’s woven into Dorothy’s emotional world. In many ways, the entire story is set in motion because of him: Dorothy finding her inner self by rescuing Toto.

Metropolis’ use of a lightly trained dog reinforces that bond beautifully, grounding the story in something real and tender. Seeing an actual dog onstage makes the audience instantly understand Dorothy’s desperation to protect him from Miss Gulch’s threat, and her fierce devotion to Toto remains a surprisingly radical idea for a story of its time. He’s the companion who saved her from loneliness, and her determination to keep him safe becomes the catalyst for her entire journey - willing to leave everything she knows behind if it means preserving the friendship, love, and life of her dog. 

As of 2026, animal abuse - especially toward domesticated dogs and cats - remains a heartbreaking problem around the world. That’s part of why stories like The Wizard of Oz still matter: they show a young person treating her pet with genuine love, loyalty, and protection, reminding audiences how powerful and important that bond can be.

Shifting back to the company, Metropolis Performing Arts Centre’s Youth Ensemble brings the Munchkins to life with fun energy and crisp character work- along with other roles played, enriching every scene they step into. Their musical numbers sparkle with bright, unified group vocals, and their choreography is impressively sharp, full of buoyant movement and clean formations that give Munchkinland its joyful pulse.

The production’s technical storytelling reaches an early high point with the tornado sequence, staged with impressive clarity and imagination. Dancers swirl across the stage, waving billowing grey scrims that evoke churning storm clouds, while Forrest Gregor’s sound design layers convincing wind roars, rattling impacts, and atmospheric rumble. Tony Churchill’s projection design adds spiraling debris and sweeping gusts that intensify the chaos, culminating in a striking moment when Alyssa Mohn’s scenic design reveals Dorothy’s house splitting cleanly in half. Once Dorothy lands in Oz, the creative team transforms the stage from plain Kansas farmland into a magical, richly colored world through Sierra Walker’s strategic lighting, Churchill’s dynamic projections, and Theresa Ham’s vivid, whimsical costumes. The projections also allow both the Wizard and the Wicked Witch to appear larger than life, giving their scenes an added theatrical punch that heightens the story’s sense of wonder.

All of this visual ingenuity supports the larger emotional themes at the center of Metropolis’ interpretation. As director Tor Campbell notes, “At its heart, The Wizard of Oz is not about a destination. It is about resilience,” and “After every storm comes the possibility of a rainbow,” a pair of reflections that beautifully frame the production’s spirit and its enduring message.

Danielle Spence as Glinda and Nora Wragg as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre.

One of the joys of this production is hearing the show’s classic songs delivered with such affection. Metropolis keeps all the musical touchstones that audiences expect, from the sweeping simplicity of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (beautifully sung by Wragg) to the buoyant charm of “We’re Off to See the Wizard,” “If I Only Had a Brain,” “If I Only Had a Heart,” and “If I Only Had the Nerve.” The familiar melodies land with an easy warmth, and Sharon Mason’s music direction ensures each number feels both lovingly preserved and freshly energized. Whether you grew up with the film or are discovering Oz for the first time, the score remains one of the production’s most delightful anchors, offering moments of nostalgia, humor, and pure musical joy.

This staging taps into the broad, welcoming appeal that has kept The Wizard of Oz alive for generations, offering a family friendly experience that works just as well for first‑timers as it does for lifelong fans. Young audiences get the magic, color, and adventure, while adults appreciate the faithful storytelling, classic score, and standout character work. With its beloved characters, recognizable songs, and heartfelt performances, Metropolis’ production celebrates courage, companionship, and the reminder that home is never as far away as it seems. Most of all, it rekindles that unmistakable childhood wonder the story has carried for decades, letting audiences feel like kids again as they’re swept up in bright colors, familiar melodies, and the simple joy of watching Dorothy and her friends discover who they are. It’s the kind of show where adults smile at memories they haven’t visited in years and younger audiences fall in love with Oz for the first time, a blend of fun, heart, and theatrical playfulness that sends you out of the theatre lighter than you walked in.

What also stands out in revisiting The Wizard of Oz is how much strength Baum gave his female characters, especially considering the story’s early 20th century origins. Dorothy may be young, but she drives the narrative through her choices, her compassion, and her determination to return home. Glinda’s calm authority and the Wicked Witch’s fierce, commanding presence form a striking contrast - two powerful women shaping the world of Oz in very different ways. Even within a fantasy framework, there’s symbolic weight in that dynamic: Dorothy’s journey becomes a quiet assertion of agency, resilience, and moral clarity at a time when female protagonists were rarely allowed such depth. Metropolis’ production highlights that legacy, reminding audiences that beneath the magic and spectacle lies a story where women hold the narrative’s heart, its danger, and its wisdom.

Audience logistics at Metropolis are refreshingly convenient. A free, multi-level parking garage sits just around the corner, making arrival and departure remarkably easy, and the surrounding streets offer a wide range of restaurants only steps from the theatre for pre- or post-show dining. Inside, the venue’s cozy seating creates an intimate viewing experience, and while the concessions stand offers a fine assortment of drinks, snack options are extremely limited. Patrons may want to bring their own munchies for intermission, though outside food is prohibited inside the theatre, making a quick bite before or after the show the most practical choice.

With the practicalities so thoughtfully handled, what remains is the simple joy of being swept into a world where imagination leads the way. In the end, this Wizard of Oz proves that the road to Emerald City is still paved with imagination, heart, and just enough whimsy to make you believe in magic all over again.

Recommended.

For tickets and more show info, visit https://www.metropolisarts.com/.

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre (CRDT), the Chicago-based dance company, is proud to announce its 2026 - 2027 season. In the coming year, CRDT will join the historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts as an in-resident company. The season will also include welcoming back Chicago dance icon Sherry Zunker for the first of a three-year residency, as well as featuring award-winning choreographer Omár Román de Jesús and broadening opportunities for a diverse pipeline of emerging choreographers even further - not only with its 2nd Annual Chicago Latinx/e Contemporary Movement Festival but also with the Inaugural New Voices Festival.

With resident choreographers Sherry Zunker and Omar Román de Jesús, CRDT will again create new dance and music work to inspire audiences across Chicagoland and beyond. The 2026-27 season includes free performances of The Heart of the Story, Friday, July 24 at 10 a.m., Friday, July 31 at 5:30 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. as part of the City of Chicago's Night Out in the Parks; another free performance as part of Navy Pier's Chicago Live!, Saturday, Sept. 20 at 5 p.m.; the 2nd Annual Latinx/e Contemporary Movement Festival, Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 3 10:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.; the launch of its New Voices Festival, Thursday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.; and the season culminates with the 2027 Spring Concert Series, April 29 - May 1.

In addition to a full season of dance performance, there will be a Season Kickoff Celebration, Saturday, Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. to celebrate CRDT's new creative home and start the 2026-27 season with a celebration of dance and artistry.

The full 2026-2027 season details are listed below with more information on the latest company updates and the 28th season atCerquaRivera.org or@CerquaRivera on social media.

"This season, we are taking even bolder steps to serve our community, celebrate the many voices that define our city and create meaningful opportunities for artists whose stories deserve to be seen and heard," said Co-founder and Artistic Director of Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, Wilfredo Rivera. "We are thrilled to welcome back Chicago dance icon Sherry Zunker for the beginning of a three-year artistic residency and to welcome award-winning choreographer Omar Román de Jesús, to create a new work examining how our personal and collective histories continue to shape who we become."

Rivera continued, "And there's even more! We are incredibly proud to become a resident company at Chicago's historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts and to launch our New Voices Festival, which joins the 2nd Annual Chicago Latinx/e Contemporary Movement Festival as another much-needed new platform for emerging movement artists from diverse backgrounds."

The 2026-2027 Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre season includes:

Night Out in the Parks: The Heart of the Story

Friday, July 24 at 10 a.m.

Galewood Park, 5729 W Bloomingdale Ave., Chicago

Friday, July 31 at 5:30 p.m.

Fuller (Melville) Park, 331 W 45th St., Chicago

Friday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m.

Douglass Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Dr., Chicago

Ticket Price: FREE

The Heart of the Story is a semi-interactive concert dance program featuring dance and music artists from Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre performing several pieces from the company's repertoire. Each performance will be customized based on the interests and identity of the community, tapping into Cerqua Rivera's rich repertoire to celebrate the complexity of the human experience. This company brings people together with choreography that highlights the dualities found within each of us–confidence and doubt, strength and vulnerability, grace and intensity. These energetic and interactive events will draw you in and fill your soul.

SEASON 28 OPENER

Season Kickoff Celebration

Saturday, Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., Chicago

Ticket Price: $25 - $55 (discounts available)

CerquaRivera.org/schedule

Chicago's own Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre's debut as a resident company at the historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts features this year's dancers, including a new class of CRDT II, performance of excerpts from and behind the scenes info about this year's new works and an announcement of the full season schedule. A rare opportunity to celebrate at our new creative home with Chicago artists in an intimate atmosphere.

Chicago Live!

Saturday, Sept. 20 at 5 p.m.

Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago

Ticket Price: FREE

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre is proud to participate in the Midwest's largest free performing arts festival at Navy Pier again this year. The event welcomes more than 100 Chicago-grown performing groups in back-to-back performances across five stages on the Pier for thousands of enthusiastic fans.

2nd Annual Latinx/e Contemporary Movement Festival

Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. (festival concert) and Saturday, Oct. 3 at 10:15 a.m. (workshop) and 12 noon (panel discussion).

Dance Center of Columbia College, 1306 S Michigan Ave., Chicago

Concert Ticket Price: $10 - $30 (discounts available), Columbia students and staff are FREE

CerquaRivera.org/schedule

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre meets the need to platform and celebrate Latinx/e contemporary movement artists with the return of this groundbreaking festival. With returning and new artists as well as performance by its own company, CRDT will celebrate the vitality, talents and diversity of the Latinx/e community - inspiring pride, hope and joy. With this new once-a-year festival, CRDT brings Chicago into the national movement to lift up the fullness of the Latinx/e community and bring audiences an evening of timely and thrilling artistry.

This year the festival will also feature a dance workshop and panel discussion centering the Latinx/e dance community. All events open to the public. We are grateful to The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the presenting sponsor.

NEW PROGRAM

Inaugural New Voices Festival

Thursday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N Dearborn St., Chicago

Ticket Price: $30 (discounts available)

CerquaRivera.org/schedule

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre launches a SECOND festival to meet the Chicago community's needs for more paid opportunities for emerging artists to develop their work and for audiences to be inspired by the depth and diversity of Chicago's artistic community. A diverse pool of three artists will be selected through an open call to share their work with audiences in a preview and discussion format.

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre 2027 Spring Concert Series

Thursday, April 29 and Friday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 1 at 2 p.m.

Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N Dearborn St., Chicago

Ticket Price: $30+ (discounts available)

CerquaRivera.org/schedule

The capstone of CRDT's season is the only opportunity all year to see the full company perform the year's new work in full production alongside repertoire favorites - a "powerful mix of dance and live music" (Columbia College Chicago). Don't miss this chance to join hometown "movers and shakers who dazzled audiences" (Chicago Tribune) for "hope and joy that resonates long after the curtain has closed." (Buzz Center Stage).

The Spring Concert program is scheduled to include:

• WORLD PREMIERE: "Torcer el Horizonte," by Omar Román de Jesús (Princess Grace Award winner, Jacob's Pillow alum, Boca Tuya founder) and original music by Joe Cerqua (CRDT Cofounder, American Players Theatre). The piece will explore how collective memory is formed, transformed and preserved.
• REVIVAL: "Between Us," choreographed by Sherry Zunker (River North Dance Chicago, Bemoved) with original music and arrangements by Joe Cerqua. Sherry is reviving and reinterpreting this sultry piece that explores intimacy and our closest personal relationships in the first of her three-year residency with CRDT.

ABOUT CERQUA RIVERA DANCE THEATRE

Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre was born to explore and celebrate the American identity. These artists are fearless storytellers who inspire people to understand and engage with themselves and the world around them. Each piece the company makes centers on a specific experience and they use research and radical collaboration to convey that narrative through a diverse group of artists. Cerqua Rivera engages with its community through local and national touring, workshops, festivals and full concerts. See Chicago Dance says Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre "possesses a blended magic that is difficult to come by" and "creates a deeper sense of commitment and intimacy." New City Stage raves that Cerqua Rivera "speaks straight to the heart, feeding a hunger [you] may not even realize."

It may be the middle of summer, but for fans of Universal’s “Love Actually,” Christmas comes early this year. GEA Live, RoadCo, Fifth Season, and Broadway In Chicago today announced LOVE ACTUALLY IN CONCERT will bring the heart, humor, and intertwined stories of Richard Curtis' beloved Christmas classic to Chicago this holiday season. A live orchestra performs the film's unforgettable soundtrack including Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," Craig Armstrong's soaring score, and the timeless "Love Is All Around" while the complete film is projected on a cinema screen.

LOVE ACTUALLY IN CONCERT single ticket prices, ranging from $39 to $99 with a select number of premium seats available, may be purchased at www.BroadwayInChicago.com or in person at any Broadway In Chicago venue box office starting tomorrow, Saturday, July 25. Additional fees apply for online purchases. LOVE ACTUALLY IN CONCERT will play one night only at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St) on Saturday, December 12. Discounted group rates for parties of 10 or more may be purchased by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling 312-977-1710. See below for additional ticket information.

Since its release in 2003, “Love Actually” has become a modern holiday tradition, celebrated for its star-studded cast, endlessly quotable moments, and its warm portraits of love in all its forms. Written and directed by Richard Curtis, “Love Actually” follows 10 different, yet interweaving stories of love around the festive period, involving a variety of individuals, many of whom are interlinked as the plot progresses. The film features Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy, Martine McCutcheon, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Rowan Atkinson, Martin Freeman and many more.

“LOVE ACTUALLY IN CONCERT transforms a modern Christmas classic into a shared, heartwarming, and joy-filled celebration, perfect for fans, families, and anyone who believes love, actually, is all around,” says Floris Douwes, Producer and Managing Director at GEA Live.

Over the past two decades, “Love Actually” has built a global, multi-generational fanbase and become a holiday viewing tradition for millions. Its beloved characters, memorable music, and heartfelt stories have helped cement the film as a modern Christmas classic.   The film's composer, Golden Globe®, BAFTA® and Emmy®-winning Craig Armstrong OBE, is one of the most influential voices in modern film music, known for “Moulin Rouge!,” “Me Before You,” “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” and more.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

WEEK 1

TICKET INFORMATION (as of 7/25/26, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets, priced from $39 to $99 with a select number of premium seats available, go on sale tomorrow. Tickets may be purchased at www.BroadwayInChicago.com or in person at any Broadway In Chicago venue box office. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Discounted group rates for parties of 10 or more may be purchased by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling 312-977-1710. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

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.

Follow @BroadwayInChicago on Facebook, Instagram , TikTok, Bluesky #BroadwayInChicago

ABOUT GEA LIVE
GEA Live has established itself as the premier partner in location-based entertainment, combining creativity, excellence and credibility to deliver unforgettable events that bring iconic brands to life in all their glory. Working with renowned IPs from TV, film, theatre, music, gaming, and anime, GEA Live design, produces and distributes everything from symphonic and film concerts to immersive exhibitions and stage shows. With a vast portfolio of shows spanning more than 40 countries, GEA Live has collaborated with world-class brands like PlayStation, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Twilight, Dirty Dancing, Our Planet, and Demon Slayer, in addition to exclusively representing the legendary Ennio Morricone. As a trusted pillar of Sony Music’s Masterworks Live division, GEA Live has partnered with entertainment giants like Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, Viacom, and Warner Brothers, among others, delivering unparalleled value for licensors while further elevating the world’s most cherished brands.

ABOUT ROADCO
RoadCo Entertainment, formed in 2020, is a producing and distribution agency specializing in live entertainment experiences. A collaboration between Sony Music Entertainment and independent touring entrepreneurs Stephen Lindsay and Brett Sirota, RoadCo represents a broad roster of live events based on popular brands and intellectual properties, as well as all-new immersive and interactive attractions for audiences of all ages.

Award-winning Refracted Theatre Company is proud to announce the cast and creative team of I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire, written by Samantha Hurley and directed by Tyler Struble, September 18 - October 31, at the Bookspan Theatre at Den Theatre, 1331 N Milwaukee Ave. Previews are Friday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets go on sale in early August for $12 (previews) - $40, before handling fees, and may be purchased at RefractedCo.com.

To cope with the absence of her father, neglect of her mother and ridicule by her classmates, eighth-grader and president of the Tobey Maguire Fan Club, Shelby Hinkley decides to risk it all for love, kidnap famous actor Tobey Maguire and marry him in her basement. Her fantasies of happily ever after start to crumble as she realizes Tobey may not be the charismatic, heartthrob actor she thinks she knows, while Tobey does everything he can to escape the clutches of his number one fan. A Y2K farce, I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire is a full-throttle explosion of our para-social relationships and the obsessions that detonate them.

The cast of I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire includes Alex O’Shea (she/her, Shelby Hinkley), Jasper Johnson (he/him, Tobey Maguire), Lucy Stoole (Ty Huey) (she/her and they/them, Brenda Dee Cankles, Tobey Maguire Poster, Shelby’s Mom, Paparazzi, et al.), Carmia Imani (she/her, U/S Shelby Hinkley), Colin Huerta (he/him, U/S Tobey Maguire) and Felix (they/them, U/S Brenda Dee Cankles, Tobey Maguire Poster, Shelby’s Mom, Paparazzi, et al.).

The creative team includes Tyler Struble (he/they, director); Samantha Hurley (she/her, playwright), Sam Barr (she/her, production manager), M Paige (they/she, stage manager), Tessa Huber (they/them, assistant stage manager), Trenton Jones (he/him, scenic designer), Madeleine Reid (she/her, lighting designer), Angela Joy Baldasare (she/they, sound designer), Madeleine Shows (costume designer), Elly Burke (she/her, props designer), G. “Max” Maxin IV (he/him/any with respect, media designer), Kira Nutter (they/she, intimacy/violence choreographer), Syd Genco (she/her, hair, makeup and wigs designer), Kieran O’Connor (he/him, technical director), Peter Boenish (he/him, projection engineer), David Sajewich (he/him, animation) and Karen Wallace (she/they, master electrician). 

ABOUT SAMANTHA HURLEY, playwright, I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire

Samantha Hurley is a Maine-raised, Chicago-based playwright and comedy writer. Her first play, I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire premiered off-Broadway at Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre to critical acclaim and a sold-out run. The play had its international debut in London at the Southwark Playhouse. I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire is published by Concord Theatricals and has been featured in Teen Vogue, Interview and Pleaser magazine. Hurley’s original sketches have been performed at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre, Brooklyn Comedy Collective, Characters Welcome and the People’s Improv Theatre. Her plays have been developed at the cell theatre, Pocket VR/Theatre L’acadie, Impostor’s Theater, Two Chairs Theatre Company and Avalanche Theatre.

ABOUT TYLER STRUBLE, director, I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire

Tyler Struble is a director, dramaturg and producer. As a director, they are a frequent collaborator with playwright Samantha Hurley, who they developed with and premiered their play I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire, Off-Broadway at Nancy Manocharien’s the cell theatre and Off-West End at London’s Southwark Playhouse, both with NYC-based production company Regular People. Recent credits include director for RE(VULVA) (Avalanche Theatre Company), this dry spell (Regular People, New York City, NY), The Quiet Part (Freshly Brewed at The Understudy), Sharon (A Red Orchid Theatre A Taste of Red Series), Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them (Kitchen Theatre Company, Ithaca, NY), assistant director for Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin (A Red Orchid Theatre), Aesop’s Fables (Mudlark Theatre) and dramaturg for What The Constitution Means to Me (Hangar Theatre, Ithaca, NY). They served as associate producer at Kitchen Theatre Company in Ithaca, New York before relocating to Chicago.

ABOUT REFRACTED THEATRE COMPANY 

Refracted Theatre Company was started by Co-founders Graham Miller and Tova Wolff in 2019 in New York City. At the time of Refracted’s conception, Miller and Wolff observed a fractured nation, polarized and insular in its political/social motivations, a world inhabited by people deeply distrustful of those with whom they did not share ideological overlap.  Miller and Wolff ventured to create a theatre company that would challenge their audience’s biases, a space to become a mental and emotional fitness center where audiences could use theatre to grapple with the issues/feelings/forces in their lives. They wanted to inspire healthy discourse and empathic discussions, to encourage people to seek nuance and understanding again. 

In Refracted’s first season ever, they were able to produce a Refracted Reading...before everything came to a screeching halt. The pandemic changed the landscape of theatrical engagement in a way Wolff and Miller could never have predicted. But they stuck true to their mission, which seeks not only to provide Refracted content, but also Refracted form. While most theaters shuttered their doors, the co-artistic directors relied on adaptivity and innovation to continue to produce safety driven, live theatrical events that combined audio, immersive and movement theatre. In 2021, Refracted moved from New York to Chicago, where it continues to invite audiences to engage with new forms of storytelling, forms that are sure to upend their expectations. 

In the years since its arrival in Chicago, Refracted has set a new standard for storefront theatre in a city renowned for its theatre scene. In 2023, the company was heralded as a “Rising Star in Storefront Theatre” by NewCity, nominated for the Broadway In Chicago Emerging Theatre Award, had sold out performances, received rave reviews and swept the Joseph Jefferson Awards, winning eight awards for its production of Tambo & Bones by Dave Harris, including Best Production. In 2024, Refracted’s production of Coronation, written by Laura Winters and directed by Tova Wolff, received the most Jeff Non-Equity nominations for a non-musical offering and won three Jeff Non-Equity Awards for lighting Design (Garrett Bell), projection design (Abboye Lawrence) and supporting actor (Jodi Gage). Refracted exists as a space for people seeking to engage the world with nuance, curiosity and empathy. We believe truth is not singular but multifaceted. Like a prism, it reveals its full clarity only when we make space for the spectrum of perspectives that shape it.

Award-winning Refracted Theatre Company is proud to announce the cast and creative team of I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire, written by Samantha Hurley and directed by Tyler Struble, September 18 - October 31, at the Bookspan Theatre at Den Theatre, 1331 N Milwaukee Ave. Previews are Friday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m., with a press opening on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7:30 p.m. The regular performance schedule is Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets go on sale in early August for $12 (previews) - $40, before handling fees, and may be purchased at RefractedCo.com.

Broadway in Chicago’s latest offering at the Auditorium Theatre, & Juliet, bursts onto the stage with the kind of vibrant confidence that makes it clear this isn’t your high school Shakespeare. The production arrives as a full-throttle pop spectacle, gleefully mashing up Elizabethan trappings with late ’90s and early 2000s chart-toppers from Max Martin’s hit factory. It’s a show that knows exactly what it is: a glitter-soaked, self-aware remix of a classic that wastes no time inviting the audience into its playful rebellion against the tragic ending we’ve all been taught to accept. Since its 2019 world premiere in Manchester, & Juliet has evolved into an international hit, and this touring production carries that same electric swagger.

So, what is & Juliet? The musical tosses out the tragic final pages of Romeo and Juliet and launches into a sparkling, beat-driven alternate timeline where Juliet decides her story isn’t over. Shakespeare strides in ready to unveil his masterpiece, only to be challenged by his wife, Anne Hathaway, who argues that Juliet deserves more than a death scene. Their creative tug-of-war becomes the show’s framing device, with the couple rewriting the narrative in real time as Juliet, newly widowed, furious, and independent, sets off for Paris. Joined by the steadfast Nurse, Angélique, and May, a tender, nonbinary friend navigating their own romantic complications, Juliet begins carving out an identity that isn’t tethered to Verona’s star-crossed expectations.

Once Juliet arrives in Paris, the musical fully embraces its jukebox identity. Max Martin’s catalog - Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Robyn, and more - becomes the emotional architecture of the plot, each anthem amplifying Juliet’s bursts of confidence, heartbreak, and rebellion. A new love interest, a handful of identity mix-ups, and the inconvenient reappearance of a very alive Romeo keep the story spinning with lively drive. Beneath the glossy sheen, the show’s core is Juliet’s reclamation of her narrative: she challenges every man, myth, and playwright who tries to script her life. Much like Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, & Juliet reframes a familiar figure by handing her the agency she was never originally given. By the final number, the musical has transformed a centuries-old tragedy into a neon-bright celebration of autonomy, reinvention, and the exhilarating freedom of choosing your own ending.

Fabiola Caraballo Quijada and the company of the North American Tour of & JULIET - Photo Credit Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

Riding the show’s high-voltage spark, Joey Fatone slides into the role of Lance with an easy, self-aware charm that fits perfectly with & Juliet’s playful spirit. As a founding member of *NSYNC and a frequent Max Martin collaborator, Fatone is woven into the DNA of the musical’s soundtrack, giving his performance an extra layer of authenticity. His résumé stretches from Broadway to television to his memorable turn in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but it’s his work here that stands out: he brings crisp, confident vocals and an easy comedic charm that consistently lifts the charge onstage. Fatone proves he’s far more than a nostalgic casting choice, emerging as one of the production’s most charismatic assets.

Fabiola Caraballo Quijada leads the company with a performance that feels like the show’s beating heart, delivering Juliet with a thrilling mix of vocal firepower and emotional nuance. She tears into Max Martin staples like “...Baby One More Time” and “Since U Been Gone” with bright, commanding vocals, then pivots into moments of vulnerability that make Juliet’s journey feel genuinely earned. Her presence centers the production, funny, fierce, and fully in control.

The supporting cast matches her drive with sharp, engaging work across the board. CJ Eldred’s Shakespeare brings a sly, lightly exasperated charm, leaning into the playwright’s ego without overplaying it, while Crystal Kellogg’s Anne Hathaway counters him with warmth, clean comic timing, and an easy wit. Together, they turn their marital back-and-forth into a steady, engaging thread that helps anchor the show’s driving rhythm and provides some of its funniest moments. Nico Ochoa’s May delivers one of the evening’s most affecting performances, especially in “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” sung with disarming honesty. Joseph Torres dives gleefully into Romeo’s chaotic bravado, Noah Marlowe’s François adds irresistible comedic sparkle, and Kathryn Allison’s Angélique unleashes powerhouse vocals that stop the show in its tracks. Together, they form a tight, dynamic ensemble that amplifies Juliet’s story and keeps the production pulsing with life.

The show also finds touching emotional beats in Fatone’s Lance, whose scenes with Marlowe’s François carry a gentle, fatherly warmth that echoes the same kindness in François’s growing bond with Ochoa’s May.

Fatone and Allison’s duet on “Overprotected” is a standout, giving Lance and Angélique’s reunion a burst of humor and genuine warmth, and it’s just the start of Fatone’s musical impact throughout the night. His biggest showcase, “Teenage Dream,” becomes a warm, gently comic surprise as he embraces the Katy Perry hit with earnest, velvety vocals that give the number a sweetness you don’t see coming. Fatone may play Lance as the show’s affable comic relief, but his pop pedigree shows; every musical moment feels relaxed, lived in, and delivered with the kind of easy charisma that lifts the entire stage. It would have been nice to hear another number or two from him, especially since he proves he can still bust a move in the big ensemble dance feature “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

The ensemble deserves its own praise, offering crisp harmonies, sharp choreography, and a lively spirit that keeps the show’s force surging. They match Fatone’s charisma beat for beat, creating a lively backdrop that makes each of his musical moments land even more effectively. Their collective precision and enthusiasm elevate the production, giving the score the full, joyful lift it needs.

The company of the North American Tour of & JULIET (1) - Photo Credit Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

If there’s anything I’d tweak, it’s that a few of the show’s narrative threads resolve a bit quickly in Act II, especially once Romeo crashes back into the story and the plot starts juggling multiple character arcs at once. The momentum never falters, but you can feel the show accelerating to tie up loose ends, which leaves certain beats landing faster than they need to. Like many jukebox musicals, a handful of emotional moments feel shaped more by the song than the situation, and a couple of supporting journeys wrap up a bit neatly compared to Juliet’s richer, more fully realized arc. These aren’t flaws so much as brief soft spots in an otherwise confident production, but they do create moments where the storytelling feels slightly compressed next to the show’s usual clarity, wit, and spark.

Even with those brief pacing dips, the production stays remarkably unified, and much of that cohesion comes from the creative team’s razor-sharp vision and assured hand. With a book by David West Read, the Emmy-winning writer behind Schitt’s Creek, the show’s humor lands with a cheerful, contemporary snap that is clever without ever feeling smug and heartfelt without tipping into sentimentality. Luke Sheppard’s direction keeps the pace brisk and the tone delightfully self-aware, guiding the audience through rapid-fire shifts between Shakespearean parody and pop-musical exuberance. Jennifer Weber’s Emmy-winning choreography is the engine that keeps the whole thing pulsing, layering crisp, high-impact movement over Max Martin’s hits in ways that feel both nostalgic and freshly inventive. Together, they shape a production that is as smart as it is spectacular, proving that & Juliet succeeds because its creative foundation is every bit as strong as its glittery, radio-hit exterior.

What I love is how much the show feels like a full-tilt party. Throughout the night, the musical keeps slipping into irresistible, disco-bright bursts of celebration - confetti, fireworks, and bouncy dance numbers - the kind that wash over the Auditorium Theatre with a buoyant, communal energy. Even the live band, tucked out of sight, delivers with such punch that the show takes on a concert-like charge at times. By the end, the audience is on its feet, cheering as if they’ve been part of the celebration all along.

The design team behind & Juliet gives this touring production its glossy, high-octane finish, each element snapping together with precision. Soutra Gilmour’s scenic design provides a playful, ever-shifting backdrop, while Howard Hudson’s lighting drenches the stage in radiant color and concert-style intensity. Paloma Young’s costumes amplify the show’s turn-of-the-millennium exuberance, blending Shakespearean silhouettes with modern pop flair to mirror the musical’s playful collision of eras, and Gareth Owen’s sound design keeps Max Martin’s hits punchy and impeccably balanced. Add Andrzej Goulding’s video and projection work, and you get a production that feels polished, cohesive, and irresistibly alive.

& Juliet continues to light up Chicago with glitter, heart, and high-voltage joy, and this touring production proves itself an outright delight. Running July 22 through August 2, 2026, the Broadway in Chicago engagement at the Auditorium Theatre delivers a vibrant, tightly crafted experience that never loses sight of its emotional core. With a knockout lead performance, a dynamic ensemble, and a creative team working at peak imagination, this tour shows exactly why & Juliet has become one of the most irresistible modern musicals. It is a jubilant, neon-bright celebration of rewriting your own story and absolutely worth catching before it dances out of the city.

Highly recommended.

https://andjulietbroadway.com/

https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/shows/and-juliet/

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, opens its 35^th Season in the intimate Gillian Theatre with Sisters, a gripping family drama exploring the familial bond between a woman and her AI sister, written by Matthew Libby and directed by acclaimed Chicago artist and Northwestern University faculty member Jessica Thebus. On the heels of the record-breaking hit JOB, Sisters continues the theatre's timely exploration of how technology shapes humanity. Sisters will run August 13 – November 8, 2026, at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. 

Single Tickets for Sisters, $75+, and season subscriptions are now available at www.writerstheatre.org, and at the Box Office by calling 847-242-6000. 

Matilda and Greta have always been there for one another, through joy and grief and homework and boyfriends. They're as close as sisters can be—even if Greta is artificial intelligence. As Matilda ages and Greta longs for independence, their relationship begins to be tested like never before. Told over the course of 90 years, Sisters is a riveting and thought-provoking new play about the future of family. 

Braden Abraham comments, "Sisters marks the opening of our 35th season at Writers Theatre, and it seems fitting to begin a milestone year in The Gillian Theatre, a space built on intimacy and our founding charge that the most exciting theatre is made with the audience and actors in close proximity. This extraordinary new play by Matthew Libby asks what remains distinctly, mysteriously human once you strip away everything that can be simulated, predicted or optimized. I can think of no one better than Jessica Thebus to guide us through Matilda and Greta's long, strange and moving companionship."

The cast is Brenda Barrie (Matilda) and Chloe Johnston (Greta). The understudies are Julia Rowley and Sarah Hecht.

The creative team includes: Jessica Thebus (Director), A Inn Doo (Scenic Designer), Lia Wallfish (Costume Designer), Eric Watkins (Lighting Designer), Andre Pluess (Co-Sound Designer), Harper Justus (Co-Sound Designer), Stephan Mazurek (Projections Designer), Reva Stover (Assistant Director), Bobby Kennedy (Dramaturg) and Dylan Cohen (Assistant Dramaturg). The stage manager is Isabel Pratt and the assistant stage manager is Olivia Leslie. 

About the Artists

Matthew Libby (Playwright) is a writer and actor based in Brooklyn, by way of Los Angeles. He made his Off-Broadway playwriting debut with Data (Lucille Lortel Theatre, Outer Critics Circle nomination for the John Gassner Award); regional productions of his plays include Data (Arena Stage, Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best New Play or Musical) and Sisters (Writers Theatre, Northern Stage). Data was also previously adapted as a digital production by the Tony-winning Alliance Theatre in May 2021, a production featured in a New York Times review of virtual theatre works that "clear a path toward continued innovation and growth of the form." Winner of the Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition and Neukom Playwriting Award, Matt is a 2026 Ucross Resident, 2022-2023 Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow, 2023 Theater Masters Visionary Playwright, three-time Princess Grace Award finalist, five-time O'Neill Playwrights Conference semifinalist and Blue Ink Playwriting Award featured finalist. His work has been produced and developed by theaters across the country, including Roundabout, Alliance Theatre, New York Stage and Film, Westport Country Playhouse, Northern Stage, Pioneer Theatre Company, The Kennedy Center, National New Play Network, Theater Masters, The Barrow Group, The Road Theater Company, WNYU's Theatre-in-the-Sound and others. With Stanford Repertory Theater, he helped devise and act in The Many Faces of Farce, which was nominated for a Bay Area Critics Award for Best Production. For the screen, he is a writer on Season 3 of Fox's hit medical drama Doc, has developed TV projects for Hulu, Lionsgate/eOne, Beau Willimon's Westward Productions and Alex Gibney's Jigsaw Productions, and has been recognized for his screenwriting work by The Black List and Script Pipeline. Matt studied cognitive science and creative writing at Stanford University and received his MFA in dramatic writing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where he also teaches and was awarded the Chair's Award for Distinguished Achievement. He is a proud member of the Writers Guild of America and the Dramatists Guild of America.

Jessica Thebus (Director) is a theater artist, director and educator. She holds a PhD in Performance Studies from Northwestern University, and is currently Director of the Northwestern MFA Program in Directing. She has directed in Chicago and nationally for twenty-five years, and has long associations with many Chicago theaters, including the Goodman Theatre where she directed A Christmas Carol from 2000-2005, as well as plays by Tracy Scott Wilson and Sarah Ruhl. Northlight Theater is also an artistic home for Jessica where she has directed ten plays including Shining Lives: A Musical which received a Joseph Jefferson award nomination for best new work. Favorite others include Steppenwolf Theater Company, Lookingglass Theater Company, The Gift Theater, Writers Theater and Court Theater. Favorite projects nationally have taken place at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Huntington Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Marin Theater Company, as well as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Jessica also creates outdoor spectacle projects in Chicago that celebrate community, joy and environmental justice.

Brenda Barrie (Matilda) is making her Writers Theatre debut. Chicago credits include Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Middletown, Sex with Strangers, Okay Bye); Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Julius Caesar, Elizabeth Rex); American Blues Theater (Roann @ the Gates, Six Corners); Lifeline Theatre (Mrs. Caliban, Mariette in Ecstasy); Goodman Theatre (Mother Road); The House Theatre of Chicago (United Flight 232, The Nutcracker); Route 66 Theatre Company (The Downpour); The Gift Theatre (The Ruby Sunrise); Metropolis Performing Arts Centre (A Streetcar Named Desire); and Silk Road Rising (Caravaggio). She is a four-time Joseph Jefferson Award nominee for Principal Performer and has also appeared on Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, and The Chicago Code. She earned her BFA in Theatre from the University of Indianapolis and spent a formative semester studying at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland. She is represented by Stewart Talent.

Chloe Johnston (Greta) is a writer, director and teacher in Chicago. She has worked with theatres across Chicago and is a long-time ensemble member of The Neo-Futurists. Recent projects include 46 Plays for America's First Ladies (Critics Pick, NYTimes), Grace (The Orchard Project, Links Hall, Roman Susan, Northwestern University) and Leave the Light On, an interview-based performance and audio project about caretaking labor. With Coya Paz Brownrigg, she is the author of Ensemble-Made Chicago: A Guide to Devised Theater (NU Press). She is an Associate Professor of Theater and Performance Studies at Lake Forest College. www.chloejohnston.org

Sisters

Written by Matthew Libby
Directed by Jessica Thebus
The Gillian Theatre

August 13 – November 8, 2026

Performance Schedule: 

Wednesdays: 2:00pm and 7:30pm 

Thursdays: 7:30pm  

Fridays: 7:30pm  

Saturdays: 2:00pm and 7:30pm  

Sundays: 2:00pm and 7:00pm 

Open Captioned Performance: Thursday, September 17 at 7:30pm 

ASL-Interpreted Performance: Saturday, September 19 at 2:00pm 

Pay What You Can Performances: Sunday, August 23 at 7pm, Sunday, September 27 at 7pm, Saturday, October 31 at 7:30pm and Thursday, November 5 at 7:30pm 

Location: Gillian Theatre, 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe 

Prices: $75+

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

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

www.writerstheatre.org 

Single tickets are now on sale. Flex subscriptions and tickets are available online at www.writerstheatre.org, and at the Box Office by calling 847-242-6000. 

Notes of Interest:

• Jessica Thebus returns to Writers Theatre where she previously directed The Turn of the Screw. Writers audiences may recognize thematic echoes of Writer's 2015 production of Marjorie Prime, which featured Thebus's late mother, Mary Ann Thebus, and explored similar themes of memory and humanity.

• Sisters continues Writers Theatre's conversation about technology and humanity. Following the record-breaking, sold-out run of JOB, which explored the psychological dangers of technology and our increasingly online lives, Sisters asks a different question about how technology changes how we define family and what it means to be human. Where JOB was a tense psychological thriller about the dangers of our digital world, Sisters is an intimate, emotional portrait that asks whether artificial intelligence can become family.

• Told across 90 years, Sisters is a sweeping, non-chronological epic following the relationship between a human and her AI sister. Sisters features a unique two-person cast, in which the character Matilda physically ages on stage from childhood to 96.

• Brenda Barrie (Matilda) and Chloe Johnston (Greta) are both making their Writers Theatre debuts in this intimate two-hander.

• Playwright Matthew Libby has a degree in cognitive science and creative writing from Stanford University and an MFA from NYU. He blends this background to inform his writing. Data, which the New York Times called "a darkly on-point dramatic mirror of present-day events" that feels "all-too present, all-too raw and indisputably somber", addresses the ethics of AI, privacy and surveillance. Sisters also dives into the world of AI, exploring emotional boundaries between humanity and technology.

SEASON PACKAGES

Writers Theatre is offering a variety of subscriptions with an option for every theatregoer. Each subscription includes a deeply discounted ticket price, ranging from $275-$385 for one ticket to the five-play series, Flex subscriptions, with options for either four tickets ($280) or five tickets ($350), are available.

Season package subscribers receive the new Writers Theatre concierge service for ticket exchanges and questions. Exclusive subscriber benefits include: complimentary ticket exchanges (upgrade fees may apply), special "subscriber-rate" prices on additional tickets, advance access to special events and programs, easy, free parking, exclusive discounts in bar items and merchandise, discounts on rental of Writers Theatre event spaces on Writers Theatre merchandise, event rentals and more. For a complete list of benefits, visit writerstheatre.org.

Season Packages are available online at www.writerstheatre.org, and at the Box Office by calling 847-242-6000.

Single tickets will go on sale for each show approximately two months prior to first preview. Single ticket prices start at $35.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES 

Writers Theatre offers Open Captioning and ASL-interpretation on select dates for each production. Please visit writerstheatre.org/accessibility for more information. 

Throughout the season, Writers Theatre offers a variety of audience enrichment and special programming. This includes regularly occurring offerings like the Family Matinee Series, The Green Room artist interview series and podcast and The Final Word Audience Discussion Series. Please visit writerstheatre.org for a full listing of upcoming offerings. 

ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE

Writers Theatre proudly celebrates its 35th Season.  

From its beginnings in the back room of a Glencoe bookstore, Writers Theatre established what would become its defining conviction: that vibrant language and exceptional performances in an intimate setting create a transformative theatrical experience. Today, the company is a major cultural destination in the Chicago region with a national reputation for artistic excellence, heralded by The Wall Street Journal as "America's finest regional theatre company." 

Founded in 1992, Writers has produced over 160 productions—from inventive interpretations of classics to groundbreaking new work. In 2016, the company opened a state-of-the-art theatre center designed by the internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects. The new facility includes the 255-seat Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre and the flexible 100-seatGillian Theatre, spaces designed to preserve the company's trademark intimacy and bring audiences up close to Chicago's finest actors. The building's striking glass atrium serves as a welcoming gathering space for artists, staff and the community, open daily for reading, working and conversation.  

Led by Executive Director Kate Lipuma and Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, Writers Theatre welcomes more than 60,000 patrons each year. The company has established itself as an important originator of new theatrical work, having produced over 30 world premieres in its history—including Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol, Witch by Jen Silverman, Trevor the Musical by Dan Collins and Julianne Wick Davis, A Minister's Wife by Austin Pendleton, Jan Tranen and Josh Schmidt, The Savannah Disputation by Evan Smith and Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus's adaptation of Crime and Punishment. 

Education and community engagement remain central to Writers Theatre's mission. Each season, the organization reaches more than 5,000 students and adults through school matinees, in-school residencies and curriculum-based programs that introduce young people to professional theatre. Writers Theatre also offers a wide range of free programs for the broader community, including readings, lectures and partnerships with local organizations that make theatre accessible to audiences of all ages. 

Located just 20 miles north of downtown Chicago, Writers Theatre offers artists and audiences a setting that combines world-class theatre with the calm and accessibility of Chicago's North Shore. As Writers Theatre enters its 35th season, the company continues its commitment to artistic excellence, meaningful storytelling and the uniquely powerful connection that only intimate theatre can create.