Music Theater Works Receives Bayless Foundation Grant

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9 – April 2, has been awarded a Signal Grant by the Bayless Family Foundation for MTW’s efforts to update shows with outdated or actively offensive content.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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New Philharmonic to Present “South Pacific”

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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Family Dyamics: Preview of “Layalina” World Premiere at Goodman Theatre

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 to Step Down as Executive Director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater

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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Full Circle: Court Theatre Names Gabriel Randle-Bent Associate Artistic Director

In any real artistic pursuit, there comes a time when you simply have to invest in what you believe in. After all, as the old saying goes, you have to put up or shut up. And Court Theatre, who’s collaborated generously with a host of emerging and talented Chicago-based artists, directors and playwrights, has done just that in their recent appointment of Gabrielle Randle-Bent as associate artistic director. Bringing a uniquely powerful combination of academic excellence, artistic acumen and collaborative experience with with Court Theatre’s artistic team, Randle-Bent finds herself uniquely qualified to fill the post for which Court has been searching since early this year. 

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Artistic Director E.M. David and Managing Director Rose Hamill to Exit Broken Nose Theatre

The Board of Directors of Broken Nose Theatre recently announced artistic director E.M. Davis and managing director Rose Hamill will step down from their leadership roles effective September 1, 2022. The Board, in conjunction with the staff and ensemble, announced it will conduct an extensive search for new leadership in the coming months.

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