REVIEW & PHOTO FEATURE: The Crane Wives at Chicago's Park West August 18, 2026

Chi, IL Live Shows on our Radar:

The Crane Wives

With Direct Support by Brye 

Play Chicago's Park West on August 18, 2026

All Show Photos by Dugan Kenaz-Mara

GUEST REVIEW

By Dugan Kenaz-Mara

On August 18th the Crane Wives made one of the last stops on their Act III tour, once again gracing Chicago with their presence. Spanning the month of August, their tour has 3 stops left. And if you’re quick, you can still catch their final show in Indianapolis on the 22nd. 

The concert started with special guest Brye, a solo artist who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. Her beautiful music captured the audience and took us on a journey exploring themes of body positivity, queerness, and mental health. During the set we also got to learn about the hardships that she had recently experienced. About a week before the show the trailer with all of her merch and instruments was stolen, and then later found empty. Luckily the Crane Wives were able to lend her a guitar for the end of the tour and she was available in the lobby after the show to take polaroids with fans in lieu of missing merchandise. 

When her set finished, we had a short interlude for the bands to switch over. To my delight, the Crane Wives continued their mysterious pre-show tradition. We watched as the “Mysterious Deer Man” emerged through the haze into the blue stage lights. Walking through the cattail cutouts to place lanterns down, creating the whimsical atmosphere on stage. But this time he wasn’t alone. A second deer appeared and chased the first one, Benny Hill-style, around the stage, before composing himself and leaving the stage so the band could begin. It was a hilarious and unexpected twist that the onlookers thoroughly enjoyed. 

The past 2 years I have covered The Crane Wives when they stopped in Chicago, and like both times before, this concert was a blast to attend! The band always delivers a high-energy show that’s perfect for letting out all of your big emotions. They even encourage the audience to sing, clap, and dance along, inviting everyone in attendance to build up the lively atmosphere their shows are known for.

I also found this performance at Park West highly engaging compared to previous shows. The band was fairly close to the audience thanks to having no pit area, so Kate Pillsbury (guitar/vocals) commented about trying not to look people in the eyes. During the encore she also asked if we were more "The Hand That Feeds" or "Steady, Steady" people, letting us vote. Luckily the vote was split and we got both songs as a treat. 

Which brings me my main takeaway from the night: the Crane Wives are particularly kind. The more intimate site really highlighted all of the things they did to make their performance special for us, and for those they work with. They introduced Brye at the start, encouraging us to give her as much love as we would give them. They lent her the guitar and promoted her merch. They shouted out their crew members by name as well as their tour manager who books their locations. And when they left the stage at the end of the night, they made heart hands to the audience which were returned in kind. 

The last time the Crane Wives performed in Chicago, they were promoting their most recent album and played 6 songs from it. This time, the audience was treated to a fairly even mix of newer and older songs from almost all of their albums. This setlist featured the most songs from Coyote Stories and Foxlore, their hit 2015 and 2016 albums, then wove in a few songs each from The Fool in Her Wedding Dress (2012), Here I am (2020), and Beyond Beyond Beyond (2024). 

The full set list is below:

Brye:

• Lemons

• Apples

• My Body’s My Buddy

• Little Things

• Not a Baby

• Jenna

• Diet Culture

  
  

  

Crane Wives:

• Queen of Nothing

• Icarus

• Arcturus Beaming

• The Well

• Allies or Enemies

• Never Love an Anchor

• Turn Out the Lights

• Take Me to War

• Pretty Little Things

• The Moon Will Sing

• Black Hole Fantasy

• Nobody

• Sleeping Giants

• Curses

• The Garden

• The Hand That Feeds

• Steady Steady

• Tongues & Teeth

  
  

  Dugan Kenaz-Mara is a Chicago based designer, photographer, educator, and graduate of Northwestern University's theatre program.

  
  

  

  All Show Photos by Dugan Kenaz-Mara

  The Crane Wives

  "The Crane Wives charmed us again with its harmony-laced folk-rock…polished sound and dynamic energy…proves just how much fun the band is having with its music.” - NPR
  
  
  "The Crane Wives are a four-piece band that have an uncanny ability 
  at crafting goose-bump inducing three-part harmonies.” - No Depression
  
  
  "They’re an impeccable band with incredibly tight instrumentation and harmonies that, paired with an inclination for catchy hooks and scintillating lyricism, make a strong case for their burgeoning popularity.” - For Folk’s Sake
  
  
  "Harnessing a sense of emotional honesty, guttural lyrics are backed by twangy guitar and steady drum beats" - NYS Music
    
  

  
  

  The Crane Wives 

  highly anticipated US tour. 

  Kicking off on April 14, The Crane Wives will bring their dynamic live show to stages nationwide, delighting audiences in cities including Los Angeles, Portland, Houston, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, and beyond.

  The band has also announced new tour dates this August, hitting cities across Colorado, as well as Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and beyond.

  Tour dates and tickets for all shows are on sale now and available here.

  

  Born of the 2010’s folk boom and now comfortably stationed in their rock and roll era, Grand Rapids’ The Crane Wives epitomize the evolving landscape of indie folk. Their high-energy performances have been described as “charged with emotion and technical skill” (Blurred Culture), while their harmony-dense melodies support deeply resonant lyrics, exploring the vulnerable and the ugly sides of the human condition. The band has built a global community and has amassed over 1m Spotify monthly listeners and 150m total streams with their unparalleled, spirited live show, evocative lyricism and glimmering harmonies.

  

  Featured by Michigan Radio and NPR’s All Songs Considered, the band’s sixth full-length studio record Beyond Beyond Beyond received high praise, with Glasse Factory calling the album “a testament to the band’s ability to turn personal struggles into universally relatable anthems." Niner Times describes the album as “angsty, haunting and gritty,” praising its departure from the more traditional folk sound of The Crane Wives’ previous records. Since its release in September 2024, Beyond Beyond Beyond has accrued over 7 million streams on Spotify.

  

  The pulse of The Crane Wives is delivered by Ben Zito (bass) and Dan Rickabus (drums), creating a driving, dynamic backdrop while co-leads Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury establish expansive and gritty conversations between their electric guitars. A web of three-part harmony helps to soften the blow of their emotional candor, like a 21st century Cerberus, the hound of Hades reimagined as an emotional support animal.

  The Crane Wives have 6 full-length albums under their belts and have performed over 600 shows across the US, sharing stages with acts such as The Avett Brothers, Lake Street Dive, Rusted Root, The Dead South, Joseph, and many more.
   

  US August Tour Dates:

  August 5 Crested Butte, CO @ Mt. Crested Butte
  August 7 Fort Collins, CO @ Washington’s 
  August 8 Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep
  August 10 Dillon, CO @ Dillon Amphitheater
  August 12 Omaha, NE @ The Admiral Theater
  August 13 Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s
  August 14 Sioux Falls, MD @ The District
  August 15 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
  August 16 Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
  August 18 Chicago, IL @ Park West
  August 20 Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
  August 21 St. Louis, MO @ The Sovereign
  August 22 Indianapolis, IN @ Nickel Plate District Amphitheater 
  

  

  
  
  

  Follow The Crane Wives:
  Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Spotify | YouTube | Bio

  
  

  

  All Show Photos by Dugan Kenaz-Mara 

  
  

Sisters To Open Writers Theatre's 35th Season August 13-November 8, 2026

ChiIL Live Shows on our Radar:

Writers Theatre opens its 35th Season

with the riveting and emotional near-future family drama

Sisters

by Matthew Libby, directed by Jessica Thebus

August 13-November 8, 2026

Writers Theatre, under the leadership of Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma and Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Artistic Director Braden Abraham, opens its 35th 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. 

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.

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."

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!

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

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

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

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.

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 returns to Writers Theatre where she previously directedThe 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.

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


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.

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 benefitsinclude: 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.

OTHERWORLD THEATRE'S SEASON 4 OF “STARSHIP EDSEL” To Play Second City’s De Maat Theatre Sundays Through September 13, 2026

Chi, IL Live Shows on our Radar: 

OTHERWORLD THEATRE ANNOUNCES THE PREMIERE OF SEASON 4 OF 

“STARSHIP EDSEL” 

STILL BOLDLY GOING WHERE NO ONE THINKS THEY SHOULD!

Directed by Second City Alum Anthony LeBlanc, Chicago’s Premier Sci-Fi Theatre Company Brings Its Hit Improvised Star Trek Parody to The Second City’s De Maat Theatre.

This summer, the Starship Edsel boldly goes where they maybe shouldn’t go as Otherworld Theatre, Chicago’s premier destination for Science Fiction and Fantasy performance, presents the premiere of STARSHIP EDSEL:SEASON 4. Running from August 9th through September 13th at Second City’s De Maat theatre, this improvised Star Trek parody illuminates the ship you wouldn’t hear about in the great Star Fleet Universe.

The Director, Executive Producer, and show runner is Anthony LeBlanc (Second CityMainstage alum, former Executive Producer/Artistic Director, and Jeff Award nominee), whileOtherworld’s Director of Development Dylan Schaefer serves as Managing Producer, and Wanjiku Kairu Oliver serves as Associate Producer. STARSHIP EDSEL is a Star Trek fan’s dream.

Otherworld is widely known for the hit genre-bending shows, including Improvised Romantasy, Moon, Prism, Power!, and Twihard! A Twilight Musical Parody. Coming off of their recent stint in early TOS’s 23rd century, the Edsel crew is thrown into Star Fleet Academy’s 32nd century. Will they be able to handle the cultural differences faced by the Starship Discovery? Will the entire crew have to attend Star Fleet Academy with prepubescent teens to prove they can handle this new time period? What exactly CAN a Betazed do telepathically? All this - and a brand new captain - will be revealed in the latest six week mission of the Starship Edsel.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun while going to places we haven’t been to. Just like improvisation, we are playing in a part of Star Trek that hasn’t been defined yet. It’s great to play inside a limited container,” says LeBlanc. Beyond its Chicago mainstage run, STARSHIP EDSEL has built a proven track record entertaining convention crowds across the Midwest, including C2E2, FanExpo Chicago, and Starbase Indy.

Full cast includes 

Lilly Bolduc, Ian Deanes, Stephen Fauss, Eliana Decker-Glick, Matt Kawa, Mike Mazzella, Edward Neequaye, Wanjiku Kairu Oliver, Croix Perkins, Carlos Rivera, Janice Rumschlag, Liam Ryan, Dylan Schaefer, Bernadette Santos Schwegel, and Keely Smith.

Created from a LARP written by Brandon Brylawski. Special Guests Rich Alphonso, Alex Bellisle, James Dugan, Javid Igbal, Steve Nelson, Cassidy Russel, Andy Stagmeyer, CJ Tuor and Craig Uhlir.

About the Show

Starship Edsel is an improvised farce set aboard Starfleet’s worst vessel, the USS Edsel. Plagued with mechanical problems and design flaws, and filled with Starfleet’s most problematic personnel, the Edsel was assigned to remain in parking orbit above a vacation planet, ordered to give VIP tours of an “authentic Federation Starship.” After an incursion by the Romulan Empire, the Edsel was thrust into the center of a galactic crisis. Starship Edsel follows the ship and her crew on their subsequent misadventures throughout the galaxy. Blending fast-paced comedy with affectionate sci-fi satire, each performance boldly explores strange new worlds, unexpected adventures, and the corners of the Federation no one wants to visit with a special guest each night!

Performance Details & Tickets

STARSHIP EDSEL will be performed at Second City’s DeMaat Theatre, located in the heart of Chicago’s Old Town district.

• Run Dates: Opening – Sunday August 9th @ 6PM, Closing – Sunday September 13th @6PM

• Location: Second City’s De Maat Theatre, 1608 N Wells, Chicago, IL 60614

• Tickets: $25 general admission

• Direct Ticket Link: Purchase Tickets Here

https://www.secondcity.com/shows/chicago/starship-edsel-an-improvised-star-trek-satire-chi

Media outlets, convention organizers, and programming directors interested in booking STARSHIP EDSEL or scheduling interviews with the cast and creative team can contact: Wanjiku Kairu Oliver at wanjiku.kairu@paramount.com

About Otherworld Theatre Company:

Otherworld Theatre Company (501c3) was founded in 2012 by Tiffany Keane Schaefer to bring a theatrical home to the fans of Science Fiction and Fantasy. By putting the "nerd" in "theatre," Otherworld has become a staple of the Chicago arts community, producing immersive, high-quality genre storytelling.

REVIEW: THE NOTEBOOK is Now Playing Through August 16 Only

ChiIL Live Shows on our Radar

THE ACCLAIMED BROADWAY MUSICAL 

BASED ON THE BESTSELLING NOVEL THAT INSPIRED THE ICONIC FILM

THE NOTEBOOK

NOW PLAYING AT

BROADWAY IN CHICAGO’S

JAMES M. NEDERLANDER THEATRE

THROUGH AUGUST 16 ONLY

FEATURING AN AWARD-WINNING CREATIVE TEAM

Music & Lyrics by INGRID MICHAELSON

Book by BEKAH BRUNSTETTER

Choreography by KATIE SPELMAN

Directed by MICHAEL GREIF and SCHELE WILLIAMS

“A romantic musical for the ages.” – Chicago Sun-Times

Beau Gravitte (Older Noah) and Sharon Catherine Brown (Older Allie)

All Production Photos by Roger Mastroianni

REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

I found myself in downtown Chicago last night with tears streaming down my face and not a tissue in sight. The Notebook is back in town and the waterworks flowed as freely as the gorgeous rain showers on stage. By the unanimous standing ovation I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. 

Ken Wulf Clark (Middle Noah) and Alysha Deslorieux (Middle Allie)

When we saw opening night of The Notebook world premiere in Summer 2022 at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, I found it to be poignant and powerful. It's a brutally beautiful love story beginning to end. And this tour is every bit as moving. This is no rom-com or summer fling. The Notebook stands as an artistic monument to being truly seen, deeply loved, and bonded for a lifetime, for better or for worse. 

Sharon Catherine Brown (Older Allie) and Beau Gravitte (Older Noah)

This time around the production hit me even more intensely. In December of 2024 my parents were in a bad car accident and since then my dad has had ongoing, incapacitating health issues. I've been trying to get down to help them at least once a month, driving the 12 hour round trip, and I can attest it's tough to navigate the aging parents years. Yet my 88 year old mother has been his caregiver 24/7 at home for over 20 months now. And during numerous hospital and care center stays she was by his side for hours on end. They're celebrating their 64th wedding anniversary August 18th. That type of deep, selfless, abiding love is what The Notebook challenges us to aspire to, with a soaring score, and three interwoven storylines involving teenage passion and rebellion, active young adult choices, and devotion through the devastation of dementia. 

 

I've long admired the work of playwright Bekah Brunstetter (writer and producer on NBC's “This Is Us,” The Cake), and she more than did the novel justice with this heart-wrenching yet hopeful adaptation for the stage. In fact, the entire cast, crew, and creatives are exceptional at bringing this story to life and evoking emotions in the audience without crossing over into the maudlin. The Notebook is truly an empathy inducing tearjerker that reminds us of the best qualities of being human. ChiIL Live Shows on our Radar. Highly Recommended. ★★★★ Four out of four stars. Don't miss this! 

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and empty nester. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).

Producers Kevin McCollum and Kurt Deutsch, along with Broadway In Chicago are thrilled to announce THE NOTEBOOK, a new musical based on the best-selling novel that inspired the iconic film, is now playing at Broadway In Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph St.). THE NOTEBOOK is playing for a limited engagement through August 16 only. Returning to Chicago following the world premiere in Summer 2022, audiences in Chicago are about to fall in love all over again with this beloved story.

“THE NOTEBOOK is ultimately a celebration of life, love, and the power of memory,” said producers Kevin McCollum and Kurt Deutsch . “Audiences first fell in love with this timeless story as a novel, then as an iconic film, and now they can experience it anew as a moving musical event. With multi-platinum artist Ingrid Michaelson’s unforgettable score and Tony Award nominated Bekah Brunstetter’s beautifully crafted book, THE NOTEBOOK comes to life on stage in a way that will resonate deeply with audiences across North America.”

Allie and Noah, two people from different worlds, share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart. “Full of butterfly-inducing highs and beautiful songs” (Entertainment Weekly), THE NOTEBOOK is a deeply moving portrait of the enduring power of love.

Based on the book that has sold millions of copies worldwide and a film that is one of the highest-grossing romantic dramas of all-time, the musical adaptation of THE NOTEBOOK played Broadway at the Schoenfeld Theatre from March 2024 to December 2024 following a critically acclaimed world premiere engagement at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2022.

“Absolutely gorgeous. Not to be missed.” – Chicago Tribune
THE NOTEBOOK features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter IngridMichaelson and a book by playwright Bekah Brunstetter (writer and producer on NBC's “This Is Us,” The Cake). The production is directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen, Next to Normal, RENT) and Schele Williams (Aida, The Wiz), with choreography by Katie Spelman (Associate Choreographer on Moulin Rouge! The Musical).

“Romantic, life-affirming and ingeniously adapted.” – USA Today

Chloë Cheers (Younger Allie) and Kyle Mangold (Younger Noah)

The creative team for the tour includes scenic design by David Zinn and Brett J. Banakis, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Ben Stanton, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Mia Neal, and projection design by Lucy Mackinnon. The production’s music supervisor is Carmel Dean, who also collaborated on arrangements with Ingrid Michaelson and on orchestrations with John Clancy, and the music director is Tina Faye. Casting by The Telsey Office, Patrick Goodwin , CSA.

The production was recently recognized with three 2024 Tony Award nominations (Best Book of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical), Drama League Award nominations for Outstanding Production of a Musical, two Distinguished Performance Awards and the Founders Award for Excellence in Directing, Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical, and an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical.

“A love story for the ages.” – The New York Daily News

Atlantic Records officially released the Grammy-nominated THE NOTEBOOK (Original Broadway Cast Recording), with a score that Vanity Fair calls “strikingly beautiful” by multiplatinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, available HERE. 

Following its release, THE NOTEBOOK (Original Broadway Cast Recording) debuted at #1 on the Top Broadway chart in Music Connect, with breakout single “My Days” now surpassing 9 million streams on Spotify alone.

www.NotebookMusical.com

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PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, August 4 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 5 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 6 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, August 7 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 8 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 9 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 11 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 12 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 13 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, August 14 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 15 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 16 – 1:00 p.m.

Alysha Deslorieux (Middle Allie) and Ken Wulf Clark (Middle Noah)

TICKET INFORMATION As of August 4, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for THE NOTEBOOK are on sale now and range from $37.00 - $132.00 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. Patrons can also participate in a digital lottery for a chance to purchase $30.00 tickets for each performance, which is inclusive of all mandatory taxes, restoration, handling, and third-party fees. In addition to the lottery, a limited number of day-of-show, in-person Rush tickets will be available for $49.00 for all performances. Click here for more info on Digital Lottery and In-Person Rush. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Chloë Cheers (Younger Allie) and Kyle Mangold (Younger Noah)

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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