Water People Theater, the resident theater company at the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago since 2019, is delighted to announce its upcoming production in collaboration with its host institution.
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The Sarah Siddons Society is pleased to present its 2024 Award to Tony Award-winner and eight-time nominee Kelli O’Hara, whose numerous Broadway credits include The King and I, Days of Wine and Roses, Kiss Me Kate, The Bridges of Madison County, Nice Work if You Can Get It, South Pacific, The Pajama Game, The Light in the Piazza, Sweet Smell of Success, Follies, Dracula and Jekyll & Hyde.
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Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents the highly anticipated The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale.
Based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien, this production comes to the stage in a US premiere directed by Paul Hart, July 19–September 1, 2024, in The Yard. This adventure through the epic realm of Middle-earth has been beloved by generations of readers. With book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus and original music by Academy Award winner A.R. Rahman (Bombay Dreams, Slumdog Millionaire), Finnish folk band Värttinä, and Tony Award winner Christopher Nightingale (Matilda the Musical), this theatrical event celebrates the greatest accomplishment in Middle-earth, making for an unforgettable experience for longtime fans and newcomers alike.
One of the most telling roles an artist like Mandy Patinkin, with such a diverse and storied career, can play is that of himself..well, kind of. On stage drawing from the manifold artistic experiences and explorations he has had over the years of his career can serve as a real revelation.
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Who doesn’t love a dazzling musical? There’s nothing like a live production with all of your favorite songs, winsome choreography, eye-popping sets and just sheer fun oozing out of each and every side of the stage in front of you. So when Chicago Shakespeare Theater announced it would be bringing back its popular summer musical after a two-year absence — and with Disney’s Beauty and The Beast, no less — there was no doubt it would be a hit. Yet this production has even more to cheer about because leading the cast in the titular role of Belle will be Aurora native Audrey Hare. Based in New York City, Hare attended Benet Academy in Lisle, majoring in Music Theatre. She went on to pursue the same study at Baldwin Wallace University, graduating with a Bachelor of Music in 2020.
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Music Theater Works, (MTW) launching its 43rd season with the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Avenue Q, March 9 – April 2, has been awarded a Signal Grant by the Bayless Family Foundation for MTW’s efforts to update shows with outdated or actively offensive content. This grant was announced with three Stepping Stone grants, named for theater companies poised to take their next big step, being given to Filament Theatre, Shattered Globe Theatre and Theater Wit.
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As the world celebrates William Shakespeare’s 459th birthday this year, Chicago Shakespeare Theater will honor the Bard with multiple events throughout the month. The theater will honor the legacy of its founding artistic director, Barbara Gaines, with the Spirit of Shakespeare Award, which will be presented at a fundraising event at the Theater’s home on Navy Pier on Monday, April 24, 2023. On April 23, the theater will invite Chicago to join in celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday with the premiere of TO BE, a free streaming event featuring performances from artists across disciplines and across the city. Also, the theater announces added performances of Gaines’ final production as artistic director, The Comedy of Errors, now extended through April 23.
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New Philharmonic, the professional orchestra in residence at the McAninch Arts Center, closes out its 2022-2023 season this spring with Broadway in Concert: South Pacific. The concert, which features Broadway luminaries Nathan Gunn (Emile) and Ann Harada (Blood Mary) takes place at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 15 and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 16. Set on a South Pacific Island during WWII, this important and influential musical weaves the themes of romance, duty and prejudice to create a story that is funny, heartbreaking and thought-provoking.
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There’s quite a bit to unpack, both literally and figuratively, when a family immigrates from a far flung country to the West and have to take on the challenges of adapting to local culture and idioms while maintain their own along the way. Imagine just how much more there is to deal with when that family spans several generations and the move is made amidst a swirl of global strife and social upheaval. Then you’ve got a conundrum of intense magnitude. How does the family navigate challenges unlike any it’s ever seen, economically, physically and culturally and stay a family? Such is the challenge depicted in Layalina, an extraordinary new play about how multi-generational families fall apart—and ultimately find each other again—amidst turbulent global and social change.
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Chriss Henderson who has steered Chicago Shakespeare Theater from a fledgling start-up theater in 1990 through 33 years of expansive growth, award-winning productions, and nationally recognized education and community engagement programming, has announced that he will be stepping down from his executive director role at the end of 2022.
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