Displaying items by tag: Events Chicago

Shakespeare’s comedies share a familiar architecture: mistaken identity, disguises, intersecting plotlines, a generous helping of prose, and language that delights in wordplay and double entendre. They are also, crucially, driven by sharp, intelligent women who often see more clearly than the men around them. With that foundation in mind, Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s production of The Merry Wives of Windsor leans confidently into these conventions - and then accelerates them - resulting in a delightfully mischievous evening.

Directed with precision and pace by Phillip Breen, the production wastes no time settling in. It moves briskly, almost breathlessly at times. Breen understands that comedy, especially Shakespearean comedy, thrives on rhythm. Doors must slam at just the right moment, disguises must be revealed a beat too late, and jokes must land before the audience has time to anticipate them. Here, the timing is razor-sharp, aided immeasurably by a cast of 22 actors who navigate the text with clarity and ease.

Max Jones’ set design cleverly situates Windsor in a contemporary world of affluence and quiet excess. This is a town where privilege is not just visible - it is assumed. Children attend private school, men play rugby, and women occupy a social sphere of lunches and shopping that doubles as a kind of informal power network. The Garter Inn, rendered as a dimly lit bar with a billiards table anchoring the space, becomes a playground for Falstaff’s schemes. In contrast, Dr. Caius’ sterile office reception area offers a clinical absurdity, while the Ford household gleams with white carpeting, glass, and sweeping staircases - its opulence undercut by the chaos unfolding within. A particularly fluid set change transforms the space with near-magic, reinforcing the play’s obsession with illusion and transformation. The final forest scene, textured with dirt mounds and trees, grounds the production just enough before it tips fully into theatrical fantasy.

What emerges most clearly in this production is the idea that Windsor is a world turned slightly askew. No one is quite what they claim to be. The knight, Sir John Falstaff, is anything but noble - he is vain, opportunistic, and gloriously ridiculous. The doctor, Caius, is less healer than hot-headed rival, perpetually threatening violence. The clergyman’s thick accent renders him a subject of humor rather than authority. Even the Justice of the Peace seems more eager for confrontation than civility. It is a community in which status is worn like a costume—and just as easily discarded.

Photo by Kyle Flubacker.

At the center of it all are the “merry wives,” who prove themselves to be the most grounded and perceptive figures on stage. Ora Jones’ Mistress Page and Issy Van Randwyck’s Mistress Ford  anchor the production with wit and composure. They are never merely reactive; they orchestrate the action, turning Falstaff’s attempted manipulation into a series of escalating humiliations. Their intelligence drives the comedy, ensuring that the laughter always has a point of view.

The supporting cast is equally strong. Chike Johnson’s Master Page exudes an easy confidence, while Timothy Edward Kane’s Master Ford leans fully into the character’s jealousy, finding both humor and unease in his suspicion. Nate Burger’s Dr. Caius is a comic standout, his bluster and indignation landing with delightful force. Nancy Voigts brings a bustling energy to Mistress Quickly, threading together the play’s many schemes, while Paul Oakley Stovall’s Justice Shallow captures the absurdity of self-importance.

And then there is Jason Simon’s Falstaff - a performance that embraces the character’s excess without apology. Legend has it that Queen Elizabeth I so adored Falstaff that she demanded to see him in love. Here, however, Falstaff is in love with nothing so much as himself. Simon leans into that vanity, crafting a figure who is both despicable and irresistibly watchable. His repeated downfalls never diminish him; instead, they reveal the elasticity of his ego.

Ultimately, this production succeeds because it trusts the mechanics of Shakespearean comedy while fully committing to its world. Disguises are embraced, identities are blurred, and language sparkles with innuendo. Yet beneath the laughter lies a sharper observation: that power, status, and even identity itself are often performances. In Windsor, everyone is playing a role - some just play it better than others.

Highly Recommended

When:   Through May 3

Where:  Chicago Shakespeare Theater 800 East Grand Avenue in Chicago

Tickets:  $60 - $120

Box Office: 312-595-5600

Info: www.chicagoshakes.com

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

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s film‑with‑live‑orchestra series has become one of the city’s most engaging hybrid arts experiences, transforming the opera house into a cinematic concert hall where classic films gain new dimension through live performance. Recent presentations such as Singin’ in the Rain (February 2025) and Coco in Concert (October 2025) have showcased how a full orchestra can elevate familiar scores, bringing warmth, clarity, and emotional immediacy to every musical moment. The format takes full advantage of Lyric’s grand acoustics and visual scale, allowing audiences to rediscover beloved movies with a heightened sense of drama and immersion. It’s a rare blend of nostalgia and spectacle - a celebration of film and music that feels both timeless and newly invigorated each time the orchestra begins to play. Now, the series continues its momentum as Anthony Parthner leads The Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra in performing the cherished score to Mary Poppins.

Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins.

Released in 1964 and starring a dream duo of Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins follows the magical arrival of an extraordinary nanny who descends - quite literally - into the lives of the Banks family on Cherry Tree Lane. As the children, Jane and Michael struggle under the strict expectations of their distracted father and the anxieties of their well‑meaning mother, Mary Poppins brings order, wonder, and unexpected joy through a blend of firm guidance and whimsical adventure. With the help of her cheerful friend Bert (the loveable chimney sweep), she leads the family through imaginative escapades that reveal deeper lessons about connection, kindness, and the importance of seeing the world with curiosity. By the time she departs, the Banks household has been transformed, not by magic alone, but by the rediscovery of affection and unity.

This film is an ideal showcase for the Lyric Orchestra, and they rise to it beautifully. The score for Mary Poppins was composed by the celebrated songwriting team Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, whose work helped define the sound of Disney’s mid‑century musical era. Known as the Sherman Brothers, they created a bright, whimsical, and emotionally rich collection of songs that blend clever lyricism with instantly memorable melodies. Their contributions to the 1964 film produced some of Disney’s most enduring musical moments - from the exuberant “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” to the gentle poignancy of “Feed the Birds” - shaping a sonic identity that remains inseparable from the film’s legacy. Their score not only set the tone for Mary Poppins but also solidified the Shermans as two of the most influential composers in the Disney canon.

Conductor Anthony Parnther.

Lyric Opera of Chicago was especially thrilled to welcome Anthony Parnther to the podium, a conductor whose versatility and musical sensitivity made him an inspired choice for a score as iconic as Mary Poppins. One of the busiest conductors in Los Angeles and a world‑class bassoonist with an international performance career, Parnther brought both technical precision and a keen ear for orchestral color - qualities that served him well in shaping a live performance of this beloved film soundtrack. Watching him work was a genuine pleasure. His approach emphasized clarity and warmth, guiding the orchestra in a way that honored the Sherman Brothers’ classic melodies while subtly enhancing the film’s emotional contours in real time. For Lyric, his leadership reflected not only artistic excellence but a continued commitment to presenting musicians who could seamlessly bridge concert performance with cinematic storytelling.

With the success of its recent live‑to‑film presentations, Lyric’s film‑with‑live‑orchestra series continues to build steady momentum, and the company is already preparing for its next project: a live orchestral performance of Amadeus in 2027. Mary Poppins in Concert Live to Film is presented in a limited engagement on April 10 and 11. Click here for more information.

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

As I entered the black box studio at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, I’ll admit - I wasn’t in the best frame of mind. Before leaving home, I’d watched the news: the endless cycle of violence, bombings, and that tired “us versus them” narrative that seems to define our moment. My spirit felt worn down. On top of that, I had spent the day finishing a review from earlier in the week, so I arrived more drained than inspired. Theatre, on this night, felt like an obligation.

Then Mrs. Krishnan’s Party happened - and everything shifted.

Instead of the usual routine of being guided to my seat by The Saints, I was greeted at the door by James (Justin Rogers), dressed in an outfit that immediately caught my attention. He asked my name. We talked. It wasn’t forced or performative - it was genuinely human. By the time he led me to my seat, the invisible barrier between audience and performer had already begun to dissolve. He introduced me to the people around me: to my left, a well-traveled gentleman from Ohio by way of India; to my right, a mother and daughter who helped identify James’s attire as a South Indian costume, rich with cultural specificity. Already, I wasn’t just watching a show - I was part of a group.

That’s when I realized we were not simply audience members, but guests of James, who was hosting a surprise party for his landlady. The occasion is Onam - a vibrant harvest celebration rooted in the southern Indian state of Kerala. What unfolds is not just theatre, but an act of radical hospitality. Music pulses. Conversations bloom. Strangers become co-conspirators in joy. This show is more than immersive - it is enveloping, dissolving the line between performer and audience until you’re no longer watching a story, you’re living inside it.

This approach is the hallmark of Indian Ink Theatre Company, the New Zealand-based ensemble behind the production. Founded by Justin Lewis and Jacob Rajan in the late 1990s, the company has earned an international reputation for creating intimate, actor-driven works that blend South Asian storytelling traditions with contemporary theatre. Their work explores identity, migration, and cultural hybridity through a deeply human - and often humorous - lens. More than anything, they prioritize connection: their productions don’t just tell stories; they build shared experiences.

And that’s what undid me.

Photo courtesy of Indian Ink Theatre Company.

When Mrs. Krishnan (Kalyani Nagarajan) finally arrives, she is startled to find the back of her small shop filled with strangers. There’s hesitation - this wasn’t her plan - and beneath it, something heavier lingers. As the evening unfolds, we begin to feel the weight she carries: the loss of her husband, the quiet ache of a son - an architect - now gone. These moments settle into the space with a tender gravity, reminding us that her warmth is hard-earned.

And yet, just as the story begins to lean into that sorrow, the play grabs and lifts us again. Laughter breaks through, balloons appear. Music returns. The room brightens. What begins as disruption transforms into delight as she embraces the gathering and, in a gesture both intimate and communal, decides to cook daal for all of us. In that moment, grief and joy exist side by side—each making space for the other.

Somewhere between the laughter, the dancing, and the smell of daal, the heaviness I carried into the theatre dissolved. Not in a naïve or escapist way, but in a way that felt necessary. Soundly directed by Justin Lewis, the show doesn’t ignore the fractured world outside; it quietly insists on another possibility within it: community, warmth, shared humanity.

By the end of the evening, I realized I hadn’t just watched a play - I had been in community with people different than me, yet deeply the same. In a time when division dominates the headlines, Mrs. Krishnan’s Party offers something deceptively simple and profoundly radical: a room full of strangers choosing, for a moment, to be together.

And that, right now, feels like everything.

Recommended

When: Through May 3rd
Where: Chicago Shakespeare Theatre 800 East Grand Avenue in Chicago.
Tickets: $74 - $90

Box Office: 312.595.5600
Info:  www.chicagoshakespeare.com

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

Depending on the source, Bat Out of Hell ranks among the top‑selling albums of all time, so its eventual leap to the stage in 2017 felt almost inevitable. Written by Jim Steinman and performed by Meat Loaf, the album’s grandiose ‘70s sound hardly suggests a post‑apocalyptic narrative, yet that’s the unexpected framing audiences encounter here. Meat Loaf’s music has always thrived on high‑energy rock‑opera theatrics  - a powerhouse voice wrapped in oversized emotion and unapologetic melodrama -  so while this storyline wouldn’t have been my first guess for a theatrical adaptation, it surprisingly fits. What works especially well is the way the show taps into the romantic rebellion that defined his performances, echoing the presence of an artist who approached each number as a miniature piece of theatre.

For its one‑night‑only performance at the Auditorium Theatre, Bat Out of Hell - The Musical opens with a confident burst of energy, pairing Steinman’s masterful songbook with a theatrical approach that’s more measured than its reputation suggests. Rather than presenting Meat Loaf’s iconic album as a straightforward rock spectacle, the creative team leans into the material’s operatic sweep and dystopian romance, shaping it into a visually engaging and musically cohesive piece of rock theatre. In the Auditorium’s spacious setting, the cinematic staging and amplified aesthetic settle in comfortably, allowing the show’s size to register without overwhelming the story at its center.

Set in the neon‑lit sprawl of post-doomsday Obsidian, Bat Out of Hell - The Musical centers on the charged relationship between Strat (Conor Crowley) - the eternally young leader of a band of renegade teens known as The Lost - and Raven (Carly Burns), the sheltered daughter of the city’s iron‑fisted ruler, Falco (Travis Cloer). Strat moves through a world shaped by rebellion and restless freedom, while Raven has grown up behind barricades built as much from fear as from concrete. Caught between them is Sloane (Tori Kocher), Falco’s long‑suffering wife, whose presence adds a more human counterpoint to the household’s rigid control. Their intersecting tensions spark a collision between desire and authority, youth and power, with Steinman’s sweeping rock anthems amplifying every emotional turn.

As Strat and Raven navigate the risks of their forbidden bond, the story widens to reveal the fractures within Falco and Sloane’s marriage - a counterpoint that exposes the weight of time, compromise, and regret. Meanwhile, The Lost struggle to hold onto their identity in a city determined to contain them. The narrative unfolds less as a traditional plot than as an atmospheric journey, laced with youthful rebellion and driven by Steinman’s music, which propels the characters through a world where love becomes both an act of defiance and a means of survival.

The show’s design builds around Steinman’s biggest showstoppers, threading them through the narrative with the kind of theatrical sweep that has long defined his work. Signature numbers such as “Bat Out of Hell,” “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” delivered with standout vocals and sizzle from Travis Cloer and Tori Kocher, form the musical backbone of the evening, each landing with the scale and intensity fans expect. Rather than serving as simple nostalgia cues, these songs shape the emotional architecture of the production, driving its crescendos and giving the story much of its momentum. Their presence underscores just how enduring - and theatrically adaptable - Steinman’s catalog remains.

As the production’s central pair, Conor Crowley and Carly Burns offer grounded, complementary performances as Strat and Raven. Crowley brings a clear vocal presence and an easy confidence to the role, while Burns provides a calm, steady counterpoint that helps shape the emotional arc of their scenes together. Their dynamic feels natural and unforced, giving the story a solid center without overpowering the production’s broader stylistic choices.

Production phot of Bat Out of Hell - The Musical by Chris Davis Studio 2

The ensemble moves with an easy rhythmic cohesion, offering strong vocal moments that add texture and dimension to Jay Scheib’s vision. Their presence helps fill out the world of Obsidian, giving the production momentum even when the staging remains intentionally spare. Scheib’s use of a live onstage cameraman adds another layer, capturing close‑up details that are projected onto two large overhead screens and lending the performance a subtle filmic quality. The choice works on both a practical and stylistic level, allowing the show to shift between the intimacy of the camera lens and the broader sweep of the stage. What initially feels like a distraction quickly becomes part of the visual language of the production, blending in so seamlessly that the cameraman all but disappears from notice.

The physical world of Bat Out of Hell - The Musical unfolds across a vast industrial landscape that captures the fractured, glow‑soaked atmosphere of Obsidian. The set itself is relatively simple, but the production makes sharp use of dynamic lighting to build atmosphere, scale, and momentum. A towering network of platforms, staircases, and metal scaffolding creates a vertical playground where the cast can vault between levels and stage the show’s most high‑energy moments. One of these platforms houses the live band, led by Greg Paladino, whose presence adds both immediacy and a welcome sense of rock‑concert authenticity.

Bat Out of Hell threads its spectacle with clear symbolic beats: The Lost, frozen in age, embody youth suspended between rebellion and stagnation, while Obsidian’s crumbling, fluorescent‑hazed skyline reflects a society shaped by fear and control. Strat and Raven’s romance becomes a tug‑of‑war between liberation and confinement, and Falco’s fortress stands in for every system determined to hold change at bay. Even the production’s constant motion suggests a world enthralled by spectacle yet uneasy with evolution.

It’s gratifying to see that the legacy of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf continues to reach new audiences, while also resonating with longtime fans - some of whom sing along to every word of certain songs throughout the performance. The material’s larger‑than‑life sound remains a recognizable cultural marker, and this musical now holds a distinct place for many who appreciate the intersection of rock and musical theatre.

In the end, Bat Out of Hell - The Musical isn’t aiming for subtlety, but that’s part of its charm. It delivers an energetic surge powered by Steinman and Meat Loaf’s expansive songbook and a cast that commits fully to every moment. The storyline undoubtedly edges into corniness here and there, yet it matters little when the production is this unabashedly fun - and the sheer force of the music makes the ride worthwhile on its own.

The bat may well fly back again someday, but for now, Bat Out of Hell - The Musical arrived as a one‑night‑only event. For more information, visit https://batoutofhellmusical.com/.

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

The Tony Award® winning Best Musical, THE OUTSIDERS, based on the seminal novel by S.E. Hinton and Francis Ford Coppola’s landmark motion picture, will return to Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre this summer, August 4 – 16, 2026, after a sold-out engagement earlier this year. Groups of 10+ are now available by calling 312-977-1710 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Single tickets will go on sale Monday, April 20. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

“We are thrilled to bring THE OUTSIDERS back to Chicago this summer,” said producer Matthew Rego of The Araca Group. “After an extraordinary sold-out run this past winter, Chicago audiences made it clear they were ready for a return and we are grateful for the opportunity to deliver another engagement.”

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1967, Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade and their Greaser family of ‘outsiders’ battle with their affluent rivals, the Socs. THE OUTSIDERS navigates the complexities of self-discovery as the Greasers dream about who they want to become in a world that may never accept them. With a dynamic original score, THE OUTSIDERS is a story of friendship, family, belonging…and the realization that there is still “lots of good in the world.”

The winner of four 2024 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, THE OUTSIDERS features a book by Tony Award nominee Adam Rapp with Tony Award winner Justin Levine, music and lyrics by Tony Award nominees Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, music supervision, orchestration & arrangements by Justin Levine, choreography by Tony Award nominees Rick Kuperman & Jeff Kuperman and is directed by Tony Award winner Danya Taymor. 

THE OUTSIDERS features Scenography by Tony Award nominees AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, Costume Design by Sarafina Bush, Lighting Design by Tony Award winner Brian MacDevitt, Sound Design by Tony Award winner Cody Spencer, Projection Design by Tony Award winner Hana S. Kim, Special Effects Design by Jeremy Chernick & Lillis Meeh, Hair & Wig Design by Alberto “Albee” Alvarado, Makeup Design by Tishonna Ferguson, Sound Effects Specialist Taylor Bense, Creative Consultant Jack Viertel. Speech Text & Dialect Coach Gigi Buffington. Music Supervision & Additional Orchestrations by Tony Award nominee Matt Hinkley, Music Direction by Remy Kurs. Production Supervision by Beverly Jenkins, Production Stage Management by Edmond O’Neal. Casting is by The TRC Company/Xavier Rubiano, CSA

THE OUTSIDERS opened on Broadway on April 11, 2024, to rave reviews and continues to play to sold out houses at the Jacobs Theatre (242 West 45^th Street). The New York Post proclaims THE OUTSIDERS as “THE BEST NEW MUSICAL OF THE SEASON." “STUNNING THINGS ARE HAPPENING ON THE STAGE OF THE JACOBS THEATER. Electrifying. Astonishing. Endlessly effective. THE OUTSIDERS has been made with so much love and sincerity. It is fair to call it golden." says The New York Times. Entertainment Weekly says, “THE OUTSIDERS has a heart of gold and THE POWER TO INSPIRE AN ENTIRE GENERATION.” “AN EXHILARATING WORLD OF MOVEMENT WITH HIGH-OCTANE CHOREOGRAPHY,” states New York Magazine. Time Out New York calls it “RAW AND MORE PULSE-POUNDING than anything else on Broadway right now."

THE OUTSIDERS is produced on tour by The Araca Group, American Zoetrope, Olympus Theatricals, Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky, Angelina Jolie, Betsy Dollinger, Jonathan & Michelle Clay, Cristina Marie Vivenzio, The Shubert Organization, LaChanze & Marylee Fairbanks, Debra Martin Chase, Sony Music Masterworks, Jamestown Revival Theater, Jennifer & Jonathan Allan Soros, Tanninger Entertainment, Tamlyn Brooke Shusterman, Mistry Theatrical Ventures, Galt & Irvin Productions, Tulsa Clarks, Paul & Margaret Liljenquist, Bob & Claire Patterson, Voltron Global Media, James L. Nederlander, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, The John Gore Organization, Independent Presenters Network, Stephen Lindsay & Brett Sirota, Jeffrey Finn, Playhouse Square, ASR Productions, Indelible InK, Lionheart Productions, The Broadway Investor’s Club, Starhawk Productions, Distant Rumble, GTR Productions, Green Leaf Partnership, Michael & Elizabeth Venuti, Leslie Kavanaugh, Deborah & Dave Smith, Belle Productions, Chas & Jen Grossman, Rungnapa & Jim Teague, Michael & Molly Schroeder, Casey & Chelsea Baugh, Jim & Emily Flautt, Jon L. Morris, Becky Winkler, William Moran Hickey Jr. & William Moran Hickey III, Melissa Chamberlain & Michael McCartney, Wavelength Productions, Rob O’Neill & Shane Snow, Eric Stine, Rachel Weinstein, Cornice Productions and La Jolla Playhouse. 

The Grammy-nominated Original Broadway Cast Recording of THE OUTSIDERS from Sony Masterworks Broadway is now available at https://theoutsidersbroadway.lnk.to/castalbum.

The world premiere of THE OUTSIDERS was produced by La Jolla Playhouse, Christopher Ashley, Artistic Director and Debby Buchholz, Managing Director, in March 2023.
 

OutsidersMusical.com 
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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 and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
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Goodman Theatre’s production of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom arrives with the weight of expectation - and under the dual direction of Chuck Smith and Harry Lennix, it does not merely meet that weight, it reshapes it. This is not a revival of August Wilson’s searing text; it is a precise, muscular excavation of its tensions, its music, and its truths.

From the outset, the production leans into what makes Ma Rainey distinct within Wilson’s canon: its compression. There is no sprawling Hill District, no generational sweep - only a room, a day, and a reckoning. Smith and Lennix understand this pressure-cooker structure and allows it to simmer deliberately. The pacing is patient but never indulgent, each pause and eruption calibrated to expose the fractures between the woman, the men and the system that contains them.

At the center stands E. Faye Butler’s Ma Rainey, and “center” is not metaphorical - it is gravitational. Butler embodies what makes Ma singular among Wilson’s women: she is not surviving the system, she is making the system bend to her will. Where characters like Rose in Fences or Bertha in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone endure with moral resilience, Ma operates with economic and performative authority. Butler’s Ma is unapologetically self-possessed, openly sensual in her relationship with Dussie Mae, and fiercely aware of her value. Every demand - a Coca-Cola, a delay, a correction - is less eccentricity than strategy. She dictates the terms, and the room adjusts.

Surrounding her is a cast that functions both as ensemble and as volatile elements in a dramatic equation. Al’Jaleel McGhee’s Levee is electric, restless, and dangerously unmoored. He captures the tragic duality of the character: brilliance tethered to illusion. His performance builds like a slow burn until it detonates, revealing the unresolved trauma and misplaced faith in a system that will never reward him. In contrast, David Alan Anderson’s Cutler is grounded, pragmatic, a man who has learned the cost of survival. Kelvin Roston, Jr.’s Toledo brings intellectual weight, his reflections on Black identity landing with quiet force, while Cedric Young’s Slow Drag occupies the margins with understated authenticity.

The white power structure—embodied by Matt DeCaro’s Sturdyvant and Marc Grapey’s Irvin - is rendered with chilling subtlety. There is no overt villainy here, only the smooth machinery of exploitation. Irvin’s politeness is the point; it is the veneer that makes the system function.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Goodman Theatre. (L-R) Jabari Khaliq, E. Faye Butler, Kelvin Roston Jr.

Visually, the production is nothing short of exquisite. Linda Buchanan’s set design transforms the stage into a 1920s Chicago recording studio that feels both expansive and suffocating. The inclusion of distinct spaces - the recording area, control room, rehearsal room, even a suggestion of the street - creates a dynamic environment while maintaining the play’s essential confinement. This is a world built for observation and control.

Jared Gooding’s lighting design elevates this world into something almost cinematic. The suggestion of the Chicago Loop’s overhead train is particularly striking, its presence looming like an industrial heartbeat. Gooding uses light not just for visibility but for composition - creating tableaus, isolating tensions, and guiding the audience’s eye with precision.

And then there are Evelyn M. Danner’s costumes, which operate as visual dramaturgy. The color palette tells its own story: Irvin and Sturdyvant in stark black and white, embodiments of rigid power; the band in various shades of brown, signaling labor, reliability, and earthbound existence; and Ma Rainey in a commanding money-green dress, a walking declaration of her worth. Dussie Mae’s yellow flapper dress, accented with green, subtly marks her proximity to that wealth and power. Even Sylvester’s patterned brown attire hints at his connection to Ma’s orbit. Every choice is intentional, every color a statement.

What ultimately distinguishes this production is its understanding of language - not just Wilson’s text, but the music within it. The scenes among the band members crackle with rhythm and lyricism, their banter and arguments forming a kind of blues composition. It is beautiful, but volatile - a powder keg of masculinity, frustration, and deferred dreams.

What Chuck Smith and Harry Lennix achieve is extraordinary. They do not merely stage Ma Rainey's Black Bottom; they orchestrate it, allowing every performance, every design element, every silence to resonate with intention. Nowhere is that more evident than in Levee’s arc, where Al’Jaleel McGhee delivers a performance that simmers with ambition and barely contained rage, his volatility carefully shaped into a slow, inevitable unraveling.

This is direction of the highest order - precise, unflinching, and deeply attuned to the rhythms of Wilson’s language and the weight of his themes. What emerges is not just unforgettable theatre, but necessary theatre: a production that insists we listen more closely, look more deeply, and reckon more honestly with the truths it lays before us.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

When: Through May 3

Where: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.

Tickets: $44-$84

Info: www.goodmantheatre.org

Box Office: 312-443-3800

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

A Red Orchid Theatre is pleased to conclude its 33^rd Season with the world premiere of Hanna Kime's The Targeted, a tragicomedy about community directed by Grace Dolezal-Ng, playing May 7 – June 14, 2026 at The Chopin Theatre Mainstage, 1543 W. Division St. in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Single tickets are available at aredorchidtheatre.org or by calling (312) 943-8722. Season subscriptions are currently available. 

The Targeted will feature Ensemble Members Kirsten Fitzgerald*, Lawrence Grimm*, Sadieh Rifai* and Natalie West* with Glenn Obrero and Stephanie Shum. Understudies include Gabriela Diaz, Amy Yesom Kim, Cynthia Marker, Tatiana Pavela, Thomas B. Tran and Scott Westerman.

About the Production:

Welcome to the Solidarity and Truth Summit. A gathering of the most persecuted, tortured, and misunderstood people in the entire world. They call themselves Targeted Individuals, and they are victims of a vast and covert program of systematic torture, surveillance and harassment by global intergovernmental powers. Over the course of this weekend in the woods they will discuss strategies to take down the deep state, bring awareness to their plight, and despite their suffering, stay human.

The production team includes Lauren Nichols (Scenic Designer), Stephanie Cluggish (Costume Designer), Josiah Croegaert (Lighting Designer), Angela Joy Baldasare (Sound Designer), Spencer Diaz Tootle (Props Designer), Eme Ospina-López (Projections Designer), Chels Morgan (Violence and Intimacy Director), Jojo Brown (Assistant Director), Jennifer Aparicio (Production Manager), Tom Daniel (Technical Director), Dan Washelesky (Dramaturg), Anna Vu (Stage Manager) and Carli Shapiro and Maggie Perisho (Assistant Stage Managers).

*Denotes A Red Orchid Theatre Ensemble Member

The Targeted

Playwright: Hanna Kime
Director: Grace Dolezal-Ng
Cast (in alphabetical order): Kirsten Fitzgerald* (Rhonda), Lawrence Grimm* (Jeff), Glenn Obrero (Eric), Sadieh Rifai* (Sherry) Stephanie Shum (Mia) and Natalie West* (Didi).

Understudies: Gabriela Diaz (Sherry), Amy Yesom Kim (Mia), Cynthia Marker (Didi), Tatiana Pavela (Rhonda), Thomas B. Tran (Eric) and Scott Westerman (Jeff).

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

Dates: Previews: Thursday, May 7 at 7 pm, Friday, May 8 at 7 pm, Saturday, May 9 at 7 pm, Sunday, May 10 at 3 pm, Thursday, May 14 at 7 pm, Friday, May 15 at 7 pm and Saturday, May 16 at 3 pm & 7 pm

Opening: Sunday, May 17 at 6 pm

Regular run: Thursday,  May 21 – Sunday, June 14, 2026
Curtain Times: Thursdays and Fridays at 7 pm; Saturdays 3 pm & 7 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. Please note: there will be an added Industry Night performance on Monday, June 1 at 7 pm.

Tickets: Previews: $33 – $44*. Regular run: $55*. Access, student, senior, and group discounts available. Single tickets are available at aredorchidtheatre.org or by calling (312) 943-8722. *Ticket prices include a processing fee.

About the Artists:

Hanna Kime (Playwright, she/her) is a Jeff-Nominated Chicago-based playwright and screenwriter originally from St. Louis, Missouri. Her full-length work has been presented or developed with companies such as Benson Drive Productions (George Strus), the Goodman, Berkeley Rep, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, A Red Orchid, Steep, [producingbody], The Understudy: Coffee and Books, Bramble, Sideshow, where she was an ensemble member, First Floor, where she previously served as Literary Manager, among others. Most recently, her play Dogs had its world premiere at Red Theater. This spring, her play The Best Damn Thing will receive its Seattle Premiere at Dacha Theatre. Kime is a two-time O'Neill Finalist, was the winner of OKC Rep's New Voices Contest and has been named a semifinalist for the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Ashland New Play Festival and Premiere Stages Play Festival. She holds degrees from the University of Chicago in English and Gender and Sexuality Studies. She is represented by UTA and managed by Curate.

Grace Dolezal-Ng (Director, she/her) is a Chicago-based director passionate about building empathy and generating empowerment through visceral storytelling. Director: Baked! (Theo), The Best Damn Thing (The Understudy), Radial Gradient (Shattered Globe), Despierta! (Lime Arts), Death for Sydney Black (Independent) and developmental work with Bramble Theatre, The Plaigarists, APIDA Arts and more. Assistant Director: It Came From Outer Space (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Athena (Writers Theater), Roe (Goodman Theatre), The Great Leap (Asolo Repertory Theatre). By day, Grace is Casting Coordinator at Goodman Theatre.

Kirsten Fitzgerald (Rhonda, she/her) is a proud member of the Ensemble at A Red Orchid Theatre and has served as the Artistic Director since 2008. She was most recently onstage here last season in The Cave. Select AROT credits include In Quietness, Grey House, Traitor, Evening at the Talk House, The Room, Pilgrim's Progress, Mud Blue Sky, Butcher of Baraboo, The New Electric Ballroom, Abigail's Party, Pumpgirl, Weapon of Mass Impact and The Sea Horse (for which she was honored to receive a Jeff Award). She is currently directing Birds of North America and previously directed The Moors at AROT, which earned her a Jeff Award for Best Director of a Play (Midsize). Other onstage credits include Swing State (Off-Broadway Minetta Lane Theatre, Goodman), I Hate It Here, ROE, Sweat (Goodman); Mary Page Marlowe, The Qualms, Clybourne Park (Steppenwolf); Appropriate, Lettie (Victory Gardens), Motherhouse (Rivendell); and work with Chicago Shakes, Utah Shakes, Shattered Globe, Remy Bumppo, Plasticene, Prop, Defiant and more. TV: Shining Girls, Somebody Somewhere, The Exorcist, Sirens, Chicago Med/Fire/Justice, Underemployed, ER. Film: Rain Reign, Widows, Working Man. Representation: Grossman & Jack Talent.

Lawrence Grimm (Jeff, he/him) is a founding ensemble member of A Red Orchid Theatre where some of his credits include: Turret, Traitor, Do You Feel Anger?, Small Mouth Sounds, 3C, Trevor, In a Garden, Pumpgirl and Abigail's Party, among many others. Area credits: Gaslight and Prayer for the French Republic (Northlight), Hannah and Martin (Jeff Nomination – Actor) and The Heavens Are Hung in Black (Shattered Globe), King Charles III, The Tempest (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), 2666 (Goodman Theatre), The Upstairs Concierge (Goodman – New Stages), My Name is Asher Lev (Timeline Theatre), In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play (Victory Gardens), Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter (Next Theatre), Orlando (Court Theatre), Two by Pinter (Piven Theater Workshop), The Glass Menagerie (Raven Theatre, Jeff Award – Actor), The Brothers Karamazov, 1984 (Lookingglass), I Never Sang for My Father, Wolf Lullaby (Steppenwolf). Film credits: Eric LaRue, Night's End, Slice, Captive State, Welcome to Me, A Perfect Manhattan, Cicero in Winter. Television: Somebody, Somewhere (HBO), The Red Line (CBS), Chicago PD, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire (NBC), Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC). More at www.grimmactor.com.

Glenn Obrero (Eric, he/him) is excited to make his A Red Orchid Theatre debut! He was last seen in Pivot (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble). Select Chicago theatre credits: Tale of Two Cities (Shattered Globe Theatre), The Great Leap (Steppenwolf Theatre), 20K Leagues under the Seas (Lookingglass Theatre), Ironbound (Raven Theatre), Wipeout (Rivendell Theatre Ensemble) and The Chinese Lady (TimeLine Theatre). Regional Theatre credits: Barefoot in the Park and Misery (Peninsula Players Theatre), Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them (Kitchen Theatre), The Great Leap (Asolo Repertory Theatre). Film credits: When Cats Fly. TV credits: Chicago Fire (NBC) and nExt (FOX). Glenn is a member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and represented by Gray Talent Group.

Sadieh Rifai (Sherry, she/her) is an ensemble member at A Red Orchid Theatre. As a playwright, she recently had the world premiere of her play The Cave as part of the 32rd season. She's also performed in Do You Feel Anger, An Evening at The Talk House and the world premiere of Grey House. Sadieh was also recently on stage at Steppenwolf in the production of You Will Get Sick directed by Audrey Francis. Film credits include The Wise Kids, Nate and Margaret, Olympia and All Happy Families. Television credits include Chicago Med, Netflix's Easy, CBS The Red Line, Amazon's Patriot, Apple TV's Shining Girls ,TJ and Dave's pilot Bettendorf Talks and season three of HBO's Somebody Somewhere. Sadieh is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf and received the Princess Grace Award.

Stephanie Shum (Mia, she/her) previously appeared in Revolution and The Moors and serves as the Marketing & Development Director at A Red Orchid Theatre. Other credits include The Crucible, You Will Get Sick, Bald Sisters, The Great Leap (Steppenwolf); Hummingbird (Goodman); Gorgeous (Raven/Rivendell); One Party Consent (First Floor); Dogs (Red, Jeff Nomination – Performer in a Supporting Role); Mothers (Gift); Men on Boats (American Theater Company); A Story Told in 7 Fights (Neo-Futurists); Love in the Time of Jonestown, Small World, Kate and Sam Are Not Breaking Up (The New Coordinates, selected); Christmas Carol, Tiger Style! (TheatreSquared); among others. Stephanie is a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf and is represented by Gray Talent Group. stephanieshum.com

Natalie West (Didi, she/her) has been an ensemble member of A Red Orchid since 2010. She has appeared in many productions including The Cave, Revolution, Fulfillment Center, Traitor and Evening at the Talkhouse. She has performed in shows at the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare and Northlight. She is a former member of Remains Theatre. Natalie portrayed the character Crystal on the television show Roseanne and The Conners. She received Jeff awards for her work in Abigail's Party and Butcher of Baraboo at A Red Orchid and Life and Limb at Wisdom Bridge.

Sponsors: Barbara & Randy Thomas (Production Sponsors) and Andrea Mitchel (Developmental Sponsor).

About A Red Orchid Theatre:

A Red Orchid Theatre has served as an artistic focal point in the heart of the Old Town community of Chicago since 1993 and was honored with a 2016 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Over the past 32 years, its Resident Ensemble has welcomed into its fold an impressive array of award-winning actors, playwrights and theatre artists with the firm belief that live theatre is the greatest sustenance for the human spirit. A Red Orchid is well known and highly acclaimed for its fearless approach to performance and design in the service of unflinchingly intimate stories.  

A Red Orchid Theatre is: Karen Aldridge, Lance Baker, Kamal Angelo Bolden, Esteban Andres Cruz, Dado, Mike Durst, Sherman Edwards, Myron Elliott, Jennifer Engstrom, Kirsten Fitzgerald, Joseph Fosco, Steve Haggard, Levi Holloway, Mierka Girten, Larry Grimm, John Judd, Karen Kawa, Karen Kessler, Travis A. Knight, Danny McCarthy, Shade Murray, Brett Neveu, Sadieh Rifai, Grant Sabin, Michael Shannon, Guy Van Swearingen, Doug Vickers and Natalie West.  

Sponsor Information: 

A Red Orchid Theatre remains grateful for the support of our board, donors and loyal audience who continue to champion our ambitious and powerful storytelling. These sponsors help to create a platform for our talented Ensemble to reach new audiences, and ensure that we remain a source for honest, compassionate, and aesthetically rigorous theatre-making. 

A Red Orchid Theatre's 33rd Season is sponsored by The Bayless Family Foundation and Heidi Hoblit Graham. The Targeted is sponsored by Barbara & Randy Thomas (Production Sponsors) and Andrea Mitchel (Developmental Sponsor).

Interested in sponsoring a production? By partnering with us as a sponsor, you will help to take our work to the next level of artistic excellence, while also receiving deeper access to our artists and the creative process. To learn more, please contact Development Director Stephanie Shum at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (312) 943-8722. 

 Chicago Repertory Ballet (CRB) is proud to present an exhilarating Spring Series that celebrates reinvention and bold new voices with two World Premieres and the revival of Founding Artistic Director Wade Schaaf's The Rite of Spring, set to Igor Stravinsky's watershed score. Since its establishment in 2011, CRB has championed blending classical ballet with contemporary dance, adding its singular voice to Chicago's rich dance landscape through original, genre-bending works. Following boundary-breaking choreographic works including adaptations of The Four Seasons, Bolero, Macbeth, and most recently, the critically acclaimed Romeo and Juliet spinoff, The Capulets, the Spring Series continues CRB's exploration of contemporary classical form. CRB 2026 Spring Series takes place one weekend only, May 29 to 31, 2026, at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 North Dearborn Street. Tickets are available at www.crbdance.com or by calling 872-588-0430.

Schaaf said, "We are excited to build on Chicago Repertory Ballet's recent success with The Capulets with a spring program that sits squarely at the intersection of ballet's past and our vision of what ballet can be. Our refreshed adaptation of The Rite of Spring – a Ballet Russe era ballet that was so revolutionary in its time that it caused riots – will be modernized again for today's audiences. The two World Premiere works Beyond the Blue Line and Pulse: ILTJ1101 boldly capture the innovations of ballet today – including inspirations from technology and outer space – making the Spring Series 2026 a thrilling exploration of what our company does best."

The evening opens with Pikieris's striking World Premiere contemporary ballet, Beyond the Blue Line. Evoking vastness, possibility, and quiet mystery, Beyond the Blue Line draws its inspiration from the horizon line where sea meets sky. Beyond the Blue Line invites audiences on a journey into openness, curiosity, and discovery, guiding us past the visible horizon and into the imaginative space that lies beyond. Known for his sweeping physicality and intricate musicality, Pikieris crafts movement both architecturally precise and emotionally expansive, demanding virtuosity while revealing the humanity of each dancer.

The program continues with the World Premiere of Schaaf's Pulse: ILTJ1101, a high-voltage fusion of neo-classical ballet and relentless techno soundscapes, propelled forward by futuristic lighting that turns the stage into a living circuit of energy. Inspired by the phenomenon of stellar radio pulses – where a collapsed star draws matter from a companion and releases it as powerful bursts of radiation – this work translates cosmic physics into visceral human motion. Dancers drive through virtuosic technical vocabulary with precision and force, their movement charged by an undercurrent of rhythmic intensity. Partnering becomes a study in exchange: weight, momentum, and energy pass from body to body as if transmitted along an invisible current. As light and sound converge with movement, Pulse: ILTJ1101 invites audiences into a futuristic landscape where classical form meets raw kinetic power; an electrifying exploration of how energy fuels motion, connection, and creation.

The evening concludes with Schaaf's crowd-pleasing The Rite of Spring, a visceral reimagining of one of the most iconic works in dance history in which a tribe selects one individual each year to perform a sacrificial rite, and must dance until death. Schaaf's production originally premiered in 2013 at The Vittum Theater and was later reworked for an outdoor performance on Crickett Hill in 2021, where the natural environment intensified its primal themes and communal tension. Now, Schaaf revisits and reshapes the 2021 version as a site-specific staging for The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, allowing the space to heighten the audience's immersion in the ritual. Driven by pounding rhythms and the relentless momentum of Stravinsky's score, the ballet highlights how group dynamics can make for fatal outcomes - an idea which remains as salient today as it was at the ballet's premiere over one hundred years ago.

ABOUT THE CHOREOGRAPHERS

Yanis Eric Pikieris is a native of Miami, Florida and began his dance training with his parents, Marielena Mencia and Yanis Pikieris, at Miami Youth Ballet. He also trained at Miami City Ballet School and with Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride at Charlotte Ballet Academy. As an apprentice with Charlotte Ballet, Pikieris performed in several company productions, including Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux's The Nutcracker and Peter Pan, Alonzo King's Chants, and George Balanchine's Tarantella. Pikieris joined Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami in 2016 as an inaugural member of the company where he has since been featured in works by George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Vicente Nebrada, Septime Webre, and Ivonice Satie, among others. As a choreographer, he has created several original works for Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami's main stage series at The Moss Center; as well as two commissions for their sister company, Ballet Vero Beach; and a world premiere collaboration with Miami-based Illuminarts and Philadelphia-based Variant 6. In 2022, Pikieris choreographed a work for National Water Dance, encouraging ongoing engagement between dance and the environment. Pikieris is now one of Dimensions Dance Theatre's Artists in Residence and is a two-time recipient of the (DMC) Dance Miami Choreographers' Program award.

Wade Schaaf (They/Them) is a Chicago native and graduated cum laude from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Arts, with an emphasis in dance performance. Throughout their professional career, Schaaf danced with several distinguished companies including Ohio Ballet, State Street Ballet Santa Barbara, The Omaha Theater Ballet, Thodos Dance Chicago, and River North Chicago Dance Company. During their time on stage, Schaaf had the opportunity to work with an array of renowned choreographers such as Septime Webre, Stephen Mills, Frank Chaves, Laurie Stallings, and Tony Award-winning choreographer Ann Reinking. Notable roles in Schaaf's performance career include Tybalt in Robin Welch's Romeo and Juliet, the Snow King in Welch's The Nutcracker, and Jonathan in Kennet Oberly's Dracula. Schaaf also originated the role of Mayor Carter Harrison in The White City, a collaboration between Thodos Dance Chicago and Ann Reinking. After retiring from performing, Mx. Schaaf founded Chicago Repertory Ballet in November 2011. The company debuted to critical acclaim, receiving the headline review "A Bright Debut for Chicago Repertory Ballet" (Sid Smith, The Chicago Tribune). Since then, Wade has choreographed numerous acclaimed works including The Rite of Spring, The Four Seasons, Bolero, and full-length ballet adaptations of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet (The Capulets). Under Schaaf's leadership, CRB continues to pursue a bold vision: challenging conventional definitions of ballet in both form and structure to create dance that defies labels. Beyond the studio, Mx. Schaaf is passionate about visual art, health, and wellness. 

ABOUT CHICAGO REPERTORY BALLET

Founded in 2011, Chicago Repertory Ballet is dedicated to presenting artistically daring and visually striking works that engage, inspire, and challenge audiences. The company has established itself as a vital part of Chicago's arts community, earning praise for its commitment to innovation and excellence in dance. For more information about The Capulets and Chicago Repertory Ballet, visit www.crbdance.com.

Get ready to kick up your heels again in Chicago with the long-anticipated return of the heartwarming hit musical, KINKY BOOTS! Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce that single tickets for KINKY BOOTS will go on sale on Friday, April 10. Praised by critics as "A BIG-HEARTED, HIGH-KICKING HIT!” (Chicago Tribune ) and "DAZZLING & JOYFUL!” (Daily News), KINKY BOOTS will play Broadway In Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph St.) for a limited two-week engagement, June 9 – 21.

Following its world premiere in Chicago in 2012, KINKY BOOTS went on to win the Tony®, Grammy®, and London’s Olivier Awards for Best Musical, captivating and entertaining audiences around the world with a Tony-winning score by Cyndi Lauper, book by four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein, and original direction and Tony-winning choreography by Jerry Mitchell.

Based on true events, KINKY BOOTS follows the journey of two people with nothing in common… or so they think. Charlie Price reluctantly inherits his father's shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father's legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. As Charlie and Lola work together to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they realized and discover that you change the world when you change your mind.

Leading the tour will be Omari Collins “Scarlett D. Von'Du” as Lola, Noah Silverman as Charlie Price, Sophia Gunter as Lauren, Jason Daniel Chacon as Don, Emma Dean as Nicola, and John Anker Bow as George. Dargan Cole, Felipe Cristancho-Rodríguez, Jonathan Blake Flemings, Peyton Gaida, and Blaise Rossmann will play the Angels. The KINKY BOOTS tour will also feature Carlyn Barenholtz, Connor Buonaccorsi, Blake Du Bois, Brianna Clark, Jayna Glynn, Billy Goldstein, Brandin Jay, Robert Miller, Val Moranto, Dominic Pagliaro, Thomas Ed Purvis, TJ Staten, Kyle Williamson, and Natalie Lilavois Yusty.

The North American Tour of KINKY BOOTS is produced by Crossroads Live North America. The tour’s creative team includes DB Bonds (Associate Director), Rusty Mowery (Associate Choreographer), Will Van Dyke (Music Supervisor), and Murnane Casting (Casting).

The KINKY BOOTS creative team includes Tony and Grammy Award-winner Stephen Oremus (Arrangements and Orchestrations), Tony Award-winner David Rockwell (Scenic Design), Tony Award-winner Gregg Barnes (Costume Design), Tony Award-winner Kenneth Posner (Lighting Design), Tony Award-winner Gareth Owen (Sound Design), and Josh Marquette (Hair Design). 

The Grammy Award-winning Original Broadway Cast Recording of KINKY BOOTS is available on Sony Masterworks Broadway. The original Broadway production of KINKY BOOTS was produced by Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig, James L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, Independent Presenters Network, CJ E&M, Jayne Baron Sherman, Just for Laughs Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams, Yasuhiro Kawana, Jane Bergère, Allan S. Gordon & Adam S. Gordon, Ken Davenport, Hunter Arnold, Lucy and Phil Suarez, Bryan Bantry, Ron Fierstein and Dorsey Regal, Jim Kierstead/Gregory Rae, BB Group/Christina Papagjika, Michael DeSantis/Patrick Baugh, Brian Smith/Tom and Connie Walsh, Warren Trepp and Jujamcyn Theaters. 

KINKY BOOTS is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 

For additional show information and tour dates, visit KinkyBootsMusical.com. 

For booking inquiries, contact The Road Company: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 212.302.5200 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, June 9 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 10 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 11 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, June 12 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 13 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 14 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, June 16 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 17 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 18 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, June 19 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 20 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 21 – 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION (as of April 9, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for KINKY BOOTS will go on sale on Monday, March 30 and range from $49.00 - $126.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Ticket price listed is when purchased in person at the box office. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

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, The Auditorium, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.
 

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
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Lookingglass Theatre Company, in keeping with its celebrated tradition of bringing to life Ensemble-created new work, presents the world premiere of Untitled Vampire Play, written by Ensemble Member Kevin Douglas and directed by Devon DeMayo. Concluding the company's 2025-2026 season, Untitled Vampire Play runs June 4 – July 12, 2026. Tickets for the production start at $33 and are available for purchase at lookingglasstheatre.org and 312.337.0665. 

Think you've got baggage? Try dating when you have centuries of relationship history and a literal body count. Sink your teeth into Lookingglass Theatre's sharply funny world premiere where the only thing more frightening than vampires (and a serial killer on the loose) is having to meet your new in-laws. This romantic-comedy-meets-horror-story explores love, commitment, codependency...and, of course, vampires.

"The genesis of Untitled Vampire Play came to me on my way to a funeral, oddly enough. I was pondering death and the big question, 'How do two people with different but unwavering convictions make a relationship work?'," notes playwright Kevin Douglas. "Using familiar vampire lore, I wanted to create a world where vampires deal with real human problems to both comedic and tragic effect." 

"I've long admired Kevin's work for its high theatricality, humor and heart. His work is delightfully sneaky; it has us laughing one minute and shocks and awes us the next," comments director Devon DeMayo. "Only Kevin can write a show about vampires that makes an audience feel so alive! By weaving romance, horror, and familial drama, Kevin's play grabs you by the throat and keeps you guessing."

Untitled Vampire Play features ensemble members Walter Briggs (Roderick) and Kareem Bandealy (Louie/Lance) alongside Courtney Rikki Green (Val), Jordan Anthony Arredondo (Dom), Jin Park (Rose/Alexa), and Cynthia Kaye McWilliams (Alicia/Douchey Dude).

The creative team includes Alyssa Mohn (Scenic Designer), Theresa Ham (Costume Designer), Jason Lynch (Lighting Designer), Andre Pluess (Sound Designer), Benjamin Barnes (Magic/Illusion Designer), Rachel Flesher (Fight/Intimacy Director), and Martine Kei Green-Rogers (Dramaturg).

Untitled Vampire Play                            

Written by:  Lookingglass Ensemble Member Kevin Douglas
Directed by: Devon DeMayo

Featuring:  Ensemble members Walter Briggs (Roderick) and Kareem Bandealy (Louie/Lance) alongside Courtney Rikki Green (Val), Jordan Anthony Arredondo (Dom), Jin Park (Rose/Alexa), and Cynthia Kaye McWilliams (Alicia/Douchey Dude).

Creatives:  Alyssa Mohn (Scenic Designer), Theresa Ham (Costume Designer), Jason Lynch (Lighting Designer), Andre Pluess (Sound Designer), Benjamin Barnes (Magic/Illusion Designer), Rachel Flesher (Fight/Intimacy Director), and Martine Kei Green-Rogers (Dramaturg).

Dates:                                      

Previews: June 4-12, 2026

Regular run: June 14-July 12, 2026

Community Nights: To Be Announced

Schedule:   

Tuesdays: 7:30 p.m. (only June 16 and July 30)                                                       

Wednesdays:               7:30 p.m.

Thursdays:                   2:00 p.m. (except June 4 and 11) and 7:30p.m.

 Fridays:                       7:30 p.m. (except June 19)

Saturdays:                    2:00 p.m. (except June 6, 13 and July 4) and 7:30 p.m. (except June 13 and July 4)

Sundays:                      2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (only July 5)

Box Office: Buy online at lookingglasstheatre.org or by phone at 312.337.0665

The Lookingglass box office is located at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E Pearson St at Michigan Ave

Accessibility at Lookingglass Theatre Company
Lookingglass Theatre Company is committed to making its performances accessible to all audiences. Each mainstage production offers open captioning, audio-described performances with Touch Tours, and mask-required performances. Discounted $35 tickets are available for each accessible performance using the codes below at lookingglasstheatre.org.

Open Captioning                                   Wednesday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m.             Use code CAPTION
Audio-Described/Touch Tour                 Thursday, July 9 at 2 p.m.                      Use code AUDIO
Mask-Required                                     Wednesday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m.          Use code MASK

An accessible entrance is located on Pearson Street, west of the main entrance at 163 E. Pearson Street. The Joan and Paul Theatre is fully accessible via elevator or ramp, with seating available on the ground floor and balcony for patrons using wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, or other mobility aids. Assistive Listening Devices, sensory bags, and large-print programs are available for all performances, and accessible group sales offer up to 25% off for parties of 10 or more.

For assistance with accessible seating, tickets, or accommodations, contact the Box Office at 312.337.0665 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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 and The Odyssey, J. Nicole Brooks' Her Honor Jane Byrne, David Schwimmer's adaptation of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and Studs Terkel's Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel about the American Obsession, Matthew C. Yee's Lucy and Charlie's Honeymoon and David Catlin's circus tribute to Lewis Carroll, Lookingglass Alice, which was captured by HMS Media and reached 1.6 million PBS viewers. Looking 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 dozens of cities throughout the United States.