Northlight Theatre to produce the world premiere of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women November 29 – January 5, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Northlight Theatre to produce the world premiere of

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women

Adapted by Lauren Gunderson

From the novel by Louisa May Alcott

Directed by Associate Artistic Director Georgette Verdin

Due to early demand, an additional week of performances has been added to the run

November 29 – January 5, 2025

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2024–2025 season with Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women adapted by Lauren Gunderson from the novel by Louisa May Alcott, directed by Associate Artistic Director Georgette Verdin.

Due to early demand a week has been added to the run, which was originally scheduled to close December 29, 2024. Little Women runs November 29, 2024 – January 5, 2025, at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. I'll be out for the press opening, December 5th, covering for ChiIL Live Shows, so check back soon for my full review. 

The cast includes Tyler Meredith (Louisa/Jo), Janyce Caraballo (Meg), Demetra Dee (Beth), Yourtana Sulaiman (Amy), Lucy Carapetyan (Marmee/Aunt March), John Drea (Laurie), and Erik Hellman (John/Friedrich).

Four sisters find their voices in 19th century New England, proving that sisterly bonds are more powerful than the friendships, hardships, romantic entanglements, and inevitable losses they face along the way. In a time marked by societal expectations, the shared love and feminine strength of the March sisters shines through. Captivating readers for generations, this beloved classic is a timeless tale of family, resilience, and a determined young writer finding her way in the world.

In a unique creative partnership, Northlight is one of four regional theaters that have jointly commissioned playwright Lauren Gunderson to adapt the classic novel. This new theatrical work will enjoy a “rolling” world premiere with four independent productions occurring between 2024-2026 in each of the partnering theaters’ home locale. It will play first at Northlight Theatre with subsequent productions at City Theatre Company (Pittsburgh, PA) People’s Light (Malvern, PA), and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley (Palo Alto, CA). The co-commission partnership represents an example of how regional nonprofit producers continue to adapt to post-pandemic financial realities while exploring new partnerships that allow for the continued investment in the commissioning of new work for the stage. All four theaters have a history of producing plays by Gunderson.

The creative team is Sotirios Livaditis (set design), Raquel Adorno (costume design), Emma Deane (light design), Christopher Kriz (original music and sound design), Nicolas Bartleson (props design), Jake Snell (production assistant) and Sarah Slight (dramaturg). The stage manager is Katie Klemme.

The Lead Sponsor for Little Women is Byline Bank.

Tickets are available through the box office at 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie; 847.673.6300; northlight.org.

About the Artists

Lauren Gunderson (Playwright) is one of the most produced playwrights in America since 2015 topping the list thrice including 2022/23. She is a two-time winner of the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award for I and You and The Book of Will, the winner of the William Inge Distinguished Achievement in Theatre Award, the Lanford Wilson Award and the Otis Guernsey New Voices Award; a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, Weisberger Award, and John Gassner Award for Playwriting; and a recipient of the Mellon Foundation’s Residency with Marin Theatre Company. She studied Southern Literature and Drama at Emory University, and Dramatic Writing at NYU’s Tisch School where she was a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship. Her play The Catastrophist, about her husband virologist Nathan Wolfe, premiered digitally in January 2021. She co-authored the Miss Bennet plays with Margot Melcon, and The Half-Life of Marie Curie premiered off-Broadway and is now at Audible.com. Her work is published at Bloomsbury (Revolutionary Women: A Lauren Gunderson Anthology, anthropology, I and You), Playscripts (I and You; Exit Pursued By A Bear; The Taming and Toil And Trouble), Dramatists Play Service (The Revolutionists; The Book of Will; Silent Sky; Bauer, Natural Shocks, The Wickhams and Miss Bennet) and Samuel French (Emilie). Her picture book Dr Wonderful: Blast Off to the Moon is available from Two Lions/Amazon. She is the book writer for musicals with Ari Afsar (Jeannette), Dave Stewart and Joss Stone (The Time Traveller’s Wife), Joriah Kwamé (Sinister), Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk (Justice and Earthrise), and Kira Stone (Built for This). She is a board member of The Playwrights Foundation.

Georgette Verdin (Director/Associate Artistic Director) is a Cuban-American freelance director, the Associate Artistic Director of Northlight Theatre and a company member with Rivendell Theatre Ensemble. Recent directing credits include: the adaptation of Dial M for Murder (Northlight); the revival of Night Watch and the Chicago Premiere of Ironbound (Raven Theatre); the U.S. premieres of The Writer (Steep Theatre) and Out of Love (Interrobang Theatre Project); the World Premieres of The Singularity Play (Jackalope Theatre); A Mile in The Dark (Interrobang Theatre Project/Rivendell); Enough to Let the Light In (Teatro Vista); Chagall in School (Grippo Stage Company); and Spay (Rivendell). Georgette is a three-time Jeff nominated director and was the 2022 Michael Maggio Directing Fellow at Goodman Theatre. She is an Associate Member of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. georgetteverdin.com.

Janyce Caraballo (Meg) is returning to Northlight, where she was last seen as Georgiana in Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley. Select Chicago: A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane); Shakespeare in the Parks (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Romeo and Juliet, Hope: Part 2 of a Mexican Trilogy (Teatro Vista); Seussical (Marriott); Suddenly, Last Summer (Raven Theatre); Hot Pink (New American Folk Theatre); The Full Monty (Theo Ubique). Regional: Peninsula Players, Indiana Repertory Theatre, American Players Theatre, First Folio Theatre, TheatreSquared. She received her Master of Fine Arts from The Theatre School at DePaul University and is represented by Paonessa Talent Agency. 

Lucy Carapetyan (Marmee/Aunt March) previously appeared at Northlight in Dial M for Murder and You Can’t Take It With You. Recent Chicago productions include Ironbound (Raven), The Singularity Play (Jackalope), and The Writer (Steep, where she's an ensemble member). Other Chicago credits include First Love is the Revolution, Earthquakes in London, Linda (Steep Theatre); Right To Be Forgotten, Nice Girl (Raven); Animal Farm (Steppenwolf). Lucy works as a motion capture actor for Injustice and Mortal Kombat video games, and as a freelance Intimacy Director and Casting Director. TV: Fargo season 4, Somebody Somewhere, Chicago Fire, Proven Innocent. Film: Brooklyn 45, Departing Seniors. She is represented by Paonessa Talent.

Demetra Dee (Beth) is making her Northlight debut. Corduroy (Chicago Shakespeare); The Penelopiad, The Nacirema Society, Relentless (Goodman); Chlorine Sky (Steppenwolf); Relentless (Timeline); Stew, Be Here Now (Shattered Globe); Cullud Wattah (Victory Gardens); The Last Pair of Earlies, Middle Passage (Lifeline); Comfort Stew, Migration (ETA Creative Arts Foundation); The Colored Museum (Pegasus Theatre Chicago); The Greenbook (Chicago Dramatist). Television: Power Book IV: Force (Starz), The Bear (FX). Education: BFA in theater, East Carolina University. Agency: DDO Chicago. www.demetradee.com

John Drea (Laurie) Northlight Theatre debut. Chicago: Little Bear Ridge Road (Steppenwolf); The Sound Inside (Goodman); Solaris (Griffin Theatre, Jeff Nomination); Chagall in School (Grippo Stage Company, Jeff Nomination); Twelfth Night, Cymbeline (Midsommer Flight); American Psycho (Kokandy Productions); Skunk and Badger, Whose Body? (Lifeline Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Goodly Creatures Theatre). Off-off Broadway: OneIronaut (The Outer Loop). Regional: Deathtrap (Constellation Stage). Television: Ashley Green, The Onion. Upcoming film: PIP! (Sacred Arthouse). He is represented by Gray Talent Group. @johndrea1998

Erik Hellman (John/Friedrich) Previous shows at Northlight include Georgiana and Kitty, Miss Bennet, Shining Lives, and Lost in Yonkers. Recent shows in Chicago include: 1776, The Sound of Music (Marriott); Lindiwe, Familiar, The Burn (Steppenwolf); Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Othello, Mousetrap, The Misanthrope, Proof, The Mystery of Irma Vep (Court); Smart People, Marjorie Prime (Writers); Eastland (Lookingglass); and Luna Gale (Goodman). Film/TV work includes The Dark Knight, Walden, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, The Good Fight, Mrs. America, Fargo, 61st Street, and the David Fincher Film The Killer.

Tyler Meredith (Louisa/Jo) Chicago credits include: Inherit the Wind, The Penelopiad, The Cherry Orchard, Twilight Bowl, Graveyard Shift/New Stages (Goodman); Campaigns, Inc. (Timeline); The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chicago Shakespeare); A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane); The Columnist (American Blues). Regional credits include: A Phoenix Too Frequent (American Players Theatre); At The Wedding, Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley, My Father’s War (TheatreSquared); Hamlet (Montana Shakespeare in the Parks). TV/Film credits include Chicago Fire. Tyler is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, School at Steppenwolf, and the University of Illinois-Chicago. She is represented by Gray Talent Group. @tylermckmeredith

Yourtana Sulaiman (Amy) is an Iraqi-Assyrian actor and teaching artist based in Chicago. Recent credits: Happy Days are Here (Again) (Steep), The Singularity Play (Jackalope), Selling Kabul (Northlight), the live in(n) (The Story Theatre), Mosque4Mosque (About Face), Chagall in School (Grippo Stage Company), NBC’s Chicago Fire, and more. Education: BFA Acting, UIC School of Theatre and Music; The Second City; Eolia Conservatory of the Dramatic Arts BCN. Follow her on instagram @yourtana for more shenanigans!

Production Details

Featuring: Tyler Meredith (Louisa/Jo), Janyce Caraballo (Meg), Demetra Dee (Beth), Yourtana Sulaiman (Amy), Lucy Carapetyan (Marmee/Aunt March), John Drea (Laurie), and Erik Hellman (John/Friedrich).

Creative Team: Sotirios Livaditis (set design), Raquel Adorno (costume design), Emma Deane (light design), Christopher Kriz (original music and sound design), Nicolas Bartleson (props design), Jake Snell (production assistant) and Sarah Slight (dramaturg). The stage manager is Katie Klemme.

Dates: November 29, 2024-January 5, 2025

Previews begin November 29, 2024

Press Opening: Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 7:30pm

Regular run: December 6-29, 2024

Added dates: through January 5, 2025

Schedule:   

Tuesdays: 7:30pm (December 3 only)

Wednesdays: 1:00pm and 7:30pm (no performances December 25 or January 1)

Thursdays: 1:00pm (December 26 only) and 7:30pm (except December 5)

Fridays: 7:30pm

Saturdays: 2:30pm (except November 30) and 7:30pm

Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:30pm (December 1 & 29 only)

Backstage with BJ – Northlight’s popular discussion series with Artistic Director BJ Jones – will be held November 22 at 12pm.

An Open Captioned performance will be held on Friday, December 20 at 7:30pm. An Open Captioned and Audio Described/Touch Tour performance will be held on Saturday, December 21 at 2:30pm.

Location: Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie

Tickets: $39-$91

Previews: $39-$74

Regular run: $49-$91

Student tickets are $15, any performance 

(subject to availability)

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.; 847.673.6300; northlight.org.

• In a unique creative partnership, Northlight is one of four regional theaters that have jointly commissioned playwright Lauren Gunderson to adapt the classic novel. It will play first at Northlight Theatre with subsequent productions at City Theatre Company (Pittsburgh, PA) People’s Light (Malvern, PA), and TheatreWorks Silicon Valley (Palo Alto, CA).

• Playwright Lauren Gunderson is one of the country’s most produced playwrights since 2015. Northlight previously produced her works The Book of Will, The Wickhams, Miss Bennet and Georgiana and Kitty. She considers Northlight to be an artistic home.

• Director Georgette Verdin is Nothlight’s Associate Artistic Director. She continues to direct in theatres across Chicago. She previously directed Dial M for Murder at Northlight.

2024-2025 Season

The 2024-2025 season continues with Lloyd Suh’s funny and moving play The Heart Sellers about the Asian immigrant experience in the 1970s, January 23 – February 23, 2025; and Joshua Harmon’s celebrated play Prayer for the French Republic, directed by Jeremy Wechsler in a co-production with Theater Wit, April 10 – May 11, 2025. The season closes with the mesmerizing one-man show about Donny Hathaway, Twisted Melodies, written and performed by Kelvin Roston Jr, July 10-August 10, 2025.

Subscriptions range in price from $135-290. Flex pass options are $120-$210. With its wide range of ticket prices, discounted subscription packages and complimentary parking, Northlight remains one of the best theatrical values in Chicagoland. Package options include traditional 5-Play Packages, 4-Play Packages, and Flex Packages. Subscriptions are available at northlight.org/subscribe or 847.673.6300.

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Founded in 1974, the organization has mounted over 240 productions, including more than 45 world premieres. Northlight has earned 230 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 36 Awards, as well as 11 Edgerton Foundation for New Play Awards. As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions BMO Harris Bank; Bulley & Andrews; Byline Bank; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Eckenhoff Saunders Architects, Inc.; The Field Foundation of Illinois; Full Circle Foundation; Grumman Butkus Associates; Hagerty Consulting; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; John R Halligan Charitable Fund; LionBird; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Mabadi Realty; Mammel Family Foundation; Modestus Bauer Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Pritzker Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Sullivan Family Foundation; The Weatherlow Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners.

The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk Via Northlight Theatre September 5 – October 6, 2024

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Northlight Theatre opens 2024-2025 season with

The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk 

By Daniel Jamieson

Music by Ian Ross

Stage and Movement Direction by Elizabeth Margolius

Music Direction by Michael Mahler

Featuring Jack Cahill-Lemme and Emma Rosenthal

September 5 – October 6, 2024

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, opens its 2024–2025 season with The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk by Daniel Jamieson, music by Ian Ross, stage and movement direction by Elizabeth Margolius, with music direction by Michael Mahler. The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk runs September 5-October 6, 2024, at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. I'll be out for the press opening September 12th, so check back soon for my full review. 

Marc Chagall and his poet wife Bella were partners in life and in art. Their romance is immortalized in a feast of music, dance, and paintings brought-to-life, capturing the essence of a marriage that soared above the upheaval through which it endured. From their first meeting in Vitebsk, and through the Russian revolution, pogroms, and two world wars, their joy manifests in moments as vibrant and whimsical as the treasured artist’s best-known works. With a klezmer-inspired score, wistful songs, and inventive staging, Flying Lovers celebrates the inspiring life and love of an extraordinary couple.

**A different piece based on the same artist, Chagall in School by James Sherman, was directed by Northlight Associate Artistic Director Georgette Verdin at Theater Wit in 2022. We adored it, here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows and gave Chagall in School a highly recommended rating.** 

“One of the joyous reasons to attend live theatre is the celebration of movement, music, and text. And The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk is certainly an example of that,” comments Artistic Director BJ Jones. “Marc Chagall and his wife Bella guide us through their lives revealing the love and longing of a life in art. Unwelcome in their home in Russia, navigating pogroms and antisemitism, Marc and Bella struggled to achieve their artistic dreams, raise a child, and survive the destruction of their beloved Vitebsk, all while creating bold and whimsical art. Here in Chicago, we are blessed with Marc’s work at the Art Institute of Chicago with the America Windows, and his Four Seasons mosaic resides at Chase Tower Plaza downtown. This charming whimsical production is a fitting theatrical companion piece to Marc Chagall’s work.”

**Marc Chagall had a fondness for Chicago, which he first visited in 1946. He said he was impressed by the city’s architecture and the friendliness of its people, and he formed lasting friendships with his admirers and patrons – an association which led to his creation of the Four Seasons mosaic at Chase Tower Plaza (then known as First National Bank Plaza), and his gifting of America Windows to the Art Institute of Chicago.**

The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk features Jack Cahill-Lemme (Marc Chagall) and Emma Rosenthal (Bella), with ensemble/musicians Elisa Carlson and Michael Mahler.

The creative team includes Elizabeth Margolius (stage and movement director), Michael Mahler (music director), Daren Leonard (associate director), Scott Penner (set design), Rachel Lambert (costume design), Charlie Cooper (light design), Willow James (sound design), Leo Bassow (props design), Jessica Deahr NeVille (lift consultant), Jyreika Guest (resident violence and intimacy coordinator), and Katie Klemme (stage manager).

About the Artists

Daniel Jamieson (Playwright) worked with Theatre Alibi in Exeter, UK for more than 30 years as associate writer and adaptor, performer and artistic director. His work as a writer for Alibi includes: River Land, Falling, Hammer and Tongs, Goucher’s War, Cobbo, Caught, One in a Million, The Freeze, Shelf Life, Little White Lies, The Swell, Sea of Faces and Birthday. In 2015 he won an ACA award for his writing for children with the company. Daniel’s play The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk was produced by Kneehigh Theatre and won the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award in 2017. Since then, The Flying Lovers has been produced in the States by Quantum Theater in Pittsburgh, Forward Theater in Wisconsin and Winnipeg Jewish Theater. Daniel has written five plays for BBC Radio 4 and has also written for Polka Theatre, London Bubble, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Northampton Theatres. In 2013, Daniel was Leverhulme artist-in-residence at the University of Exeter’s Mood Disorders Centre.

Ian Ross (Music) is a Bristol based multi instrumentalist, composer, and Head of music for The School for Wise Children. He leads the band Eleven Magpies. Theatre for Kneehigh includes: Brief Encounter, The Red Shoes, Don John, The Wild Bride, Tristan and Yseult, Dead Dog in a Suitcase, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk. Theatre as Music Director includes: Girl from the North Country (Toronto 2019, Runway). Theatre as Composer includes: Twelfth Night (Shakespeare’s Globe); The Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk (Kneehigh); Wise Children, Malory Towers, Bagdad Café and Wuthering Heights (Wise Children); London Tide (National Theatre). Film as Composer includes: The Princess and Peppernose (RSA and Joe Wright). Nominations include: Dora Mavor Award for Outstanding Musical Direction 2020 (Girl from the North Country), Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in a Play 2023 (Wuthering Heights).

**A Jeff Award winning stage and movement director, Elizabeth most recently won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Director of a Musical for Shattered Globe’s London Road and recently directed Fiddler on the Roof at Drury Lane Theatre.**

Elizabeth Margolius (Stage and Movement Director) A Jeff Award winning stage and movement director, Elizabeth most recently won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Director of a Musical for Shattered Globe’s London Road, and she is excited to be making her debut at Northlight. A five-time Jeff Award nominee, Elizabeth’s selected directorial credits include work with Drury Lane Theatre, American Stage, Opera Southwest, Peninsula Players, Renaissance Theaterworks, Firebrand Theatre, Chicago Opera Theater, Underscore Theatre, Chicago Folks Operetta, American Theater Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Assistant Director), City Lit Theater, and Bohemian Theatre Ensemble. Elizabeth is a proud member of the American Guild of Musical Artists and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. www.elizabethmargolius.com

Jack Cahill-Lemme (Marc Chagall) is making his Northlight Theatre debut. He was most recently seen on Broadway and the National Tour of Moulin Rouge! Select credits include: Gerry Goffin in Beautiful (John W Engeman), Barry Mann in Beautiful (North Shore MT), Sonny in Grease (Marriott Theatre, The Rev), Kenicke in Grease (Casa Mañana), Leonard Cowherd III in Letters Home (Griffin Theatre), Jack in What A Wonderful World (Timberlake Playhouse - World Premiere), Kinky Boots (Paramount Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane), Seussical & Junie B. Jones (Marriott Theatre), and more. 

Emma Rosenthal (Bella) makes her Northlight debut. Chicago credits include: Fiddler on the Roof, Peter and the Starcatcher, West Side Story, Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast (Drury Lane Oakbrook); Big Fish, Hello Dolly (Marriott); Athena (Writers Theatre); The Fantasticks (Porchlight); The Tempest (Steppenwolf); Brigadoon. Candide (The Goodman). Off Broadway: The Threepenny Opera (Marvell Rep, Drama Desk Nomination: Best Musical); Liberty (Theatre80). Regional credits include: Indiana Repertory Theatre, Peninsula Players, Huntington Theatre, Weston Playhouse, Cardinal Stage, Williamstown Theatre Festival. A proud graduate of Northwestern University, Emma is also a competitive powerlifter and pastry chef (you may have seen her and her mom on Season One of Fox's Crime Scene Kitchen).

Elisa Carlson (Ensemble) is making her Northlight debut. She holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance and theater from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Chicago credits include: Once (Writers Theatre and Paramount Theatre), Ernest Shackleton Loves Me (Porchlight Music Theatre), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (American Blues Theater), One Man, Two Guvnors (Court Theatre), Pop Waits (Neo-Futurists), and American Idiot (The Hypocrites).  Elisa is also a 20-year veteran of the solo and dueling piano bar scene in Chicago and around the world.

Michael Mahler (Music Director and Ensemble) is excited to make his Northlight debut. Chicagoland credits include The Last Wide Open, It’s a Wonderful Life, Buddy, Little Shop of Horrors, Side Man, Hank Williams: Lost Highway (American Blues); The Music Man, Holiday Inn, Honeymoon in Vegas, City of Angels, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Marriott); Into the Woods (Writers); The March (Steppenwolf), and Working (Broadway Playhouse). Michael is the Jeff award-winning composer/lyricist of October Sky, Hero, Miracle, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, An American Tail, My Little Pony: A New Generation and others. Proud husband to Dara Cameron, father to Ezra, and ensemble member of American Blues Theatre.

Dates:

Previews begin September 5, 2024

Press Opening: Thursday, September 12, 2024 at 7:30pm

Regular run: September 13-October 6, 2024

Schedule:      

Tuesdays: 7:30pm (September 10 only)

Wednesdays: 1:00pm and 7:30pm

Thursdays: 7:30pm 

Fridays: 7:30pm

Saturdays: 2:30pm (except September 7) and 7:30pm

Sundays: 2:30pm and 7:30pm (September 8 only)

Backstage with BJ – Northlight’s popular discussion series with Artistic Director BJ Jones – will be held August 30 at 12pm.

An Open Captioned performance will be held on Friday, September 27 at 7:30pm. An Open Captioned and Audio Described/Touch Tour performance will be held on Saturday, September 28 at 2:30pm.

Location: Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore

Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie

Tickets: Previews: $35-$74

Regular run: $49-$91

Student tickets are $15, any performance (subject to availability)

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie. 847.673.6300; northlight.org

**The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk is Northlight's second play based on a well-known artist, following 2023's Andy Warhol in Iran, which was a critical and commercial success. Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows we thoroughly enjoyed Andy Warhol in Iran, and gave it a highly recommended rating.** 

2024-2025 Season

The 2024-2025 season will open with the whimsical play with music about the romance of Marc Chagall and his poet wife Bella, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, September 5 – October 6, 2024; followed by a new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women by Northlight favorite Lauren Gunderson, November 29 – December 29, 2024; Lloyd Suh’s funny and moving play The Heart Sellers about the Asian immigrant experience in the 1970s, January 23 – February 23, 2025; and Joshua Harmon’s celebrated play Prayer for the French Republic, directed by Jeremy Wechsler in a co-production with Theater Wit, April 10 – May 11, 2025. The season closes with the mesmerizing one-man show about Donny Hathaway, Twisted Melodies, written and performed by Kelvin Roston Jr, July 10-August 10, 2025.

Subscriptions range in price from $135-290. Flex pass options are $120-$210. With its wide range of ticket prices, discounted subscription packages and complimentary parking, Northlight remains one of the best theatrical values in Chicagoland. Package options include traditional 5-Play Packages, 4-Play Packages, and Flex Packages. Subscriptions are available at northlight.org/subscribe or 847.673.6300.

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Founded in 1974, the organization has mounted over 240 productions, including more than 45 world premieres. Northlight has earned 230 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 36 Awards, as well as 11 Edgerton Foundation for New Play Awards. As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions BMO Harris Bank; Bulley & Andrews; Byline Bank; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Eckenhoff Saunders Architects, Inc.; The Field Foundation of Illinois; Full Circle Foundation; Grumman Butkus Associates; Hagerty Consulting; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; John R Halligan Charitable Fund; LionBird; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Mabadi Realty; Mammel Family Foundation; Modestus Bauer Foundation; Northwestern University; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Pritzker Foundation; The Schubert Foundation, Inc.; The Sullivan Family Foundation; The Weatherlow Foundation; Tom Stringer Design Partners.

HELP OUT: Northlight Theatre's 2022 Gala: “Purpose. Passion. Progress” Thursday, October 6, 2022

Northlight Theatre 2022 Gala:

“Purpose. Passion. Progress.” 

Thursday, October 6, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

at Theater on the Lake

with Master of Ceremonies Karen Jordan of ABC7

  

Northlight Theatre’s Board of Directors proudly presents the premier fundraising event for the 2022-2023 Season “Purpose. Passion. Progress” on Thursday, October 6, 2022, 6:00pm, at the Theater on the Lake, 2401 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60614. Northlight supporters and friends will celebrate a year of entertaining theatre during a benefit evening of dinner, music, and gorgeous skyline views.

Guests will a picturesque view of Chicago’s skyline as they celebrate a year of purpose, passion, and progress - from the art on Northlight’s stage to its education and community engagement programs.

The Gala evening's master of ceremonies is Emmy Award-winning Co-Anchor for the ABC7 Weekend News Karen Jordan. 

Entertainment is by vocalist Rashada Dawan. The evening will kick off with appetizers, cocktails and music by Evanston Township High School string quartet. The event will also include a silent auction filled with a variety of unique experiences, followed by dinner, a live auction and paddle raise, lively music, and more!

Proceeds from the event will benefit Northlight Theatre’s imaginative and inclusive arts education and community engagement programs, as well as the ground-breaking Arts for Everyone Free Ticket program which breaks down the barriers to accessing theatre starting with the price of a ticket.

Tickets are $300; Tables of 10 are priced at $3,000. Corporate sponsorships are also available at varying levels. Tickets are available for purchase on the gala page of Northlight Theatre’s website. Visit northlight.org/nlgala/ to reserve your spot. To inquire about sponsorships, contact Northlight Theatre at 847.324.1616.

Gala chairs are Julie Chernoff (Evanston) and Susie McMonagle (Chicago).

The Northlight Board of Trustees is: J. Douglas Gray, Chair (Evanston), Mark McCarville, President (Evanston), Julie Chernoff, Vice President (Evanston), Donna Frett, Vice President (Evanston), Robert J. Regan (Evanston), Paul Lehner, Secretary (Evanston), Percy Berger (Evanston), E. Faye Butler (Chicago), Carole Cahill (Highland Park), Christy Callahan (Wilmette), Ron Chadha (Northbrook), Jennifer Christensen (Wilmette), Paul Epner (Evanston), Timothy J. Evans, Executive Director (Evanston), Freddi Greenberg (Evanston), BJ Jones, Artistic Director (Evanston), Tobi Laczkowski (Wilmette), Dennis Marino (Evanston), Blythe McGarvie (Evanston), Susie McMonagle (Chicago), Rahul Roy (Evanston), Kelly Ryan (Chicago), Reetu Gowdar Sanders (Chicago), Bob Silverman (Skokie), Craig M. Smith (Chicago), Thomas D. Stringer (Chicago), Dr. Eric Witherspoon (Evanston), and Ale Treviño, Kellogg Board Fellow.

Gala Sponsors are Polsinelli, Tom Stringer Design Partners, Grumman/Butkus Associates, Hagerty Consulting, Bulley & Andrews, Eckenhoff Saunders, Northwestern University, Byline Bank, The Mather, Rotary International, The Merion Senior Living, Romano Brothers and Co. Wealth Management, Schuler Shook Theatre Planners, Quarles & Brady, LionBird, and John J. Cahill Inc.

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Founded in 1974, the organization has mounted over 220 productions, including more than 40 world premieres. Northlight has earned 208 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 36 Awards, as well as ten Edgerton Foundation for New Play Awards. As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from Allstate Insurance; the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; BMO Harris Bank; Bulley and Andrews; Byline Bank; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; CoBank; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Eckenhoff Saunders; Evanston Arts Council; Evanston Community Foundation; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Full Circle Foundation; The Gross Foundation; Gruman Butkus Associates; John R. Halligan Fund; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Illinois Humanities; Katten Muchin Roseman LLP; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Modestus Bauer Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; Niles Township; NorthShore University HealthSystems; Northwestern University; The Offield Family Foundation; PNC Bank; Polsinelli; Ralla Klepak Trust for the Performing Arts; Sanborn Family Foundation; The Saints Foundation; Dr. Scholl Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Sullivan Family Foundation; and Tom Stringer Design Partners.

Northlight Theatre opens 2022-23 Season With The Garbologists September 1 – October 2, 2022

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

The Garbologists

by Lindsay Joelle

directed by Cody Estle

September 1 – October 2, 2022

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, opens its 2022–2023 season with The Garbologists, written by Lindsay Joelle, directed by Cody Estle, featuring Tiffany Renee Johnson and Luigi Sottile. The Garbologists runs September 1 – October 2, 2022 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. I'll be out for the press opening September 9th, so check back soon for my full review.          

This off-beat buddy comedy pairs essential workers from two different worlds in the shared cab of a New York City garbage truck. Danny’s a white, blue-collar mansplainer hiding a heart of gold. Marlowe’s a Black, Ivy League-educated newbie learning the ropes from her old-school partner. When they’re thrown together to pick up what the world has discarded, they discover there’s more that binds them than taking out the trash.

The Garbologists features Tiffany Renee Johnson (Marlowe) and Luigi Sottile (Danny).

The creative team includes Collette Pollard (Scenic Design), Gregoy Graham (Costume Design), Greg Hofman (Lighting Design), and Josh Schmidt (Sound Design). The production stage manager is Rita Vreeland.

 

About the Artists

Cody Estle (Director) returns to Northlight Theatre where he previously directed By the Water (named by Chicago Sun-Times honorable mention as one of the top theatre productions of 2017) and another seven productions as the assistant director under artistic director, BJ Jones. He is the artistic director of Raven Theatre where his directing credits include The Luckiest, Sundown, Yellow Moon, How I Learned To Drive (named by Windy City Times as the best of Chicago theatre in 2019), The Gentleman Caller (2019 Jeff Award winning new play by Philip Dawkins), The Assembled Parties, A Loss of Roses (named by Chicago Tribune honorable mention as one of the year’s best in 2016), Dividing the Estate, Vieux Carré (named by Chicago Tribune as one of the year’s best in 2014), Good Boys and True, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Boy Gets Girl, and Dating Walter Dante. Other directing credits include collaborations with Strawdog Theatre, Shattered Globe Theatre, First Floor Theatre, Redtwist Theatre, The Artistic Home, Haven Theatre, Mary-Arrchie Theatre, and Citadel Theatre. Cody was recently named one of NewCity’s Fifty People Who Really Perform For Chicago. He is a member of SDC, serves on the board of directors of the League of Chicago Theatres, and is an alumnus of Columbia College Chicago

Lindsay Joelle (Playwright) is a playwright, screenwriter, and librettist living in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. The granddaughter of a survivor in Poland’s Underground Resistance and the daughter of a first-generation Israeli-born American, Joelle is drawn to stories of misfits, rebels, and the unassimilated. Her plays spotlight voices not usually heard in the American theater: Chasidic Jews addicted to rock and roll. Sanitation workers who find treasure in the trash. Her writing explores the rituals, routines, jargon, and humor of urban and rural micro-communities across America. Plays include TRAYF (Geffen Playhouse, Theater J, Penguin Rep, New Rep), The Messengers (Audible Theater audioplay), A Small History of Amal, Age 7 (Forward Flux/Pratidhwani), and The Garbologists (Philadelphia Theatre Company, City Theatre). She has been awarded an Audible Theater Emerging Playwright commission, E.S.T./Sloan Foundation Science & Technology commission, Vital Theatre musical commission, Irving Zarkower Award, and Goldberg MFA Playwriting Prize. Alumna of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, Nashville Repertory Theatre’s Ingram New Works Lab, and NNPN Playwright-in-Residence at Curious Theatre (’18-’19). Originally from Chicago, Joelle received her BA from Columbia University and MFA from Hunter.

Tiffany Renee Johnson (Marlowe) a Chicago native and Howard University (Theatre BFA) graduate, is thrilled to make her Northlight debut! Theatre credits include Passage (Remy Bumppo), School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play (Goodman), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and A Doll’s House (Writers), Red Velvet (Chicago Shakes), Flyin’ West (American Blues), Saint Joan (Poetic Forum Collective) truth and reconciliation (Sideshow), Vanya; Or, That’s Life! (Rasaka), and A Nativity Story (Congo Square). Television credits include: The Chi, Shameless, Chicago PD, Soundtrack, Chicago Med, APB, Embeds, and Chicago Fire.

Luigi Sottile (Danny) Luigi is happy to be back at Northlight! Broadway: Slave Play; Chicago: Steppenwolf, The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Court Theatre; Regional Theatre: Signature Theatre (DC), Woolly Mammoth, Folger Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Walnut Street Theatre, Wilma Theater, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Arden Theatre, People’s Light and Theatre, Lantern Theater, Act II Playhouse, Milwaukee Rep; TV: Chicago PD, Chicago Med (upcoming); Film: All Happy Families.

Dates: Previews: September 1-8, 2022

Regular run: September 8 – October 2, 2022

Schedule:               

Tuesdays: 7:30pm (Sept 6 only)

Wednesdays: 1:00pm and 7:30pm

Thursdays: 7:30pm

Fridays: 8:00pm

Saturdays: 2:30pm (except Sept 2) and 8:00pm

Sundays: 2:30pm; and 7:00pm (Sept 4 only)

A Sensory Friendly performance will be held on September 21 at 7:30pm. An ASL interpreted and Open Captioned performance will be held on September 23 at 8:00pm and an Open Caption and Audio Described performance will be held on September 24 at 2:30P

Location:  Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie

 

Tickets: 

Previews: $30-$61

Regular run: $30-$89

Student tickets are $15, any performance (subject to availability)

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie.; 847.673.6300; northlight.org

Subscriptions are available and range in price from $117-$275. With its wide range of ticket prices, discounted subscription packages and complimentary parking, Northlight remains one of the best theatrical values in Chicagoland. Package options include traditional 5-Play Packages and Flex Packages. Subscriptions are available at northlight.org/subscribe or 847.673.6300.

Up-to-date Covid-19 related policies can be found at northlight.org/health-safety.

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Founded in 1974, the organization has mounted over 220 productions, including more than 40 world premieres. Northlight has earned 208 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 36 Awards, as well as ten Edgerton Foundation for New Play Awards. As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from Allstate Insurance; the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; BMO Harris Bank; Bulley and Andrews; Byline Bank; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; CoBank; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Eckenhoff Saunders; Evanston Arts Council; Evanston Community Foundation; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Full Circle Foundation; The Gross Foundation; Gruman Butkus Associates; John R. Halligan Fund; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Illinois Humanities; Katten Muchin Roseman LLP; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Modestus Bauer Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; Niles Township; NorthShore University HealthSystems; Northwestern University; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; PNC Bank; Polsinelli; Ralla Klepak Trust for the Performing Arts; Room & Board; Sanborn Family Foundation; The Saints Foundation; Dr. Scholl Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Sullivan Family Foundation; and Tom Stringer Design Partners.

REVIEW: Ken Ludwig’s “Dear Jack, Dear Louise” Now Playing at Northlight Theatre Through August 7, 2022

Northlight Theatre Presents 

Ken Ludwig’s “Dear Jack, Dear Louise”

Now Playing Through August 7, 2022

directed by Jessica Fisch

featuring Casey Hoekstra and Sarah Price

The run time is 1:45, including intermission

REVIEW

By Guest Critic Catherine Hellmann

“Why the hell didn’t we write this show?” asked my sister when I explained the premise. Two young people in World War ll, a Jewish doctor witnessing the horrors of battle and an aspiring actress/dancer trying to get her big break onto Broadway, begin a letter-writing correspondence at the encouragement of their fathers who knew each other in the old country. Our mom was a WWll Army nurse who cared for our dad when he got deathly ill with spinal meningitis, and they began a correspondence when she shipped out from the States. Our dad always said their romance was indebted to the U.S. Army Mail System. (Unlike Ludwig’s parents, whose mom destroyed their letters, our family still has our Dad’s. We gave his Army story letters to my son who is a Social Studies teacher.) 

The cast is Casey Hoekstra (Jack) and Sarah Price (Louise). All Production Photos by Michael Brosilow

“Dear Jack, Dear Louise” is a charmer. From the initial letter in 1942 when their dads suggest they “get acquainted in a social way,” we get to know these two young people just as they get to know each other through their letters. Initially, Jack is stationed in Oregon, and Louise is in NYC. We cheer for their budding romance and the hope that they finally get to meet in person and overcome the huge obstacles in their way. 

But we know that they do, because their future son is the playwright. 

Both Casey Hoekstra as Jack and Sarah Price as Louise are wonderful. Jack is reserved; he oversees amputations and skin grafts on a regular basis in his grueling work. Sarah is upbeat, sassy, ambitious, and swears a lot when she’s mad. These penpals blossom from friends to a deep caring for each other. By the time they meet in person, they know each other deeply through their words, which seems quaint but a lot more “real” than the Internet dating of modern times. When there is a lull in their literary conversation because of career interruptions or other priorities, the patience they have to practice seems unfathomable to us in the world of texting and instant messages.

I loved all the time period references. Louise is auditioning for “Arsenic and Old Lace” on Broadway. She adores a production of “Oklahoma!” starring Celeste Holm as Ado Annie. Her favorite performers are Ethel Merman, Ginger Rogers, Katharine Hepburn, and Rosalind Russell. Louise’s costumes by Izumi Inaba evoke the flattering styles of the 1940’s. And the fun soundtrack includes “Night and Day” by Cole Porter, “For Me and My Gal,” and “It Had to Be You.”    

I assumed that Ludwig borrowed and pieced together sections of his parents’ letters, but he had to create all the dialog from scratch. Since his mother must have felt the letters were too “intimate,” she didn’t save them for her sons. Knowing this background fact makes Ludwig’s entertaining script all the more impressive. The two characters interact through their letters without actually interacting together. I wondered how this was going to work theatrically, (would it just be a lot of back and forth letter reading like a vocal tennis game?), but it does so beautifully.    

One other factual aspect of the backstory is that Jack’s mother was one of 13 girls, so Jack had 12 aunts! Louise goes to Pennsylvania from New York to meet the family, which results in her brave recap of facing a dozen potential critics. Louise describes Jack’s family as appearing “out of a Norman Rockwell painting if Norman Rockwell painted Jews.” 

At our parents’ 50th wedding anniversary party, Dad gave an awesome speech where he said our mom “took special care of me because she told me later,’I didn’t want you to die on my watch.’ And she’s still taking care of me because I am not dead yet!” 

Luckily, for my six siblings and I, and for Ken Ludwig and his brother, that military postal service was efficient and reliable! None of us would be here if it wasn’t for the powerful correspondence between Paul and Mildred and for Jack and Louise. 

Catherine Hellmann is the youngest of seven children and a teacher like her dad. (But he had the GI Bill to pay for college.) Her kids are teachers and a librarian, so apparently this literary stuff is hereditary. 

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, continues its 2021–2022 season with Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise by Ken Ludwig.  The production runs July 7 – August 7, 2022 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie. 

When two strangers meet by letter during World War II, a love story begins. U.S. Army Captain Jack Ludwig, a military doctor stationed in Oregon, begins writing to Louise Rabiner, an aspiring actress and dancer in New York City, hoping to meet her someday if the war will allow. But as the war continues, it threatens to end their relationship before it even starts.  

Two-time Olivier Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig tells the poignant story of his own parents’ unlikely courtship during World War II.

The creative team includes Yeaji Kim (Scenic Design), Izumi Inaba (Costume Design), Jackie Fox (Lighting Design), Eric Backus (Sound Design), and Lonnae Hickman (Props). The production stage manager is Rita Vreeland.

**A reminder that masks are required at all times at the theater.  Safety protocols are available here: https://northlight.org/health-safety/**

Featuring: Casey Hoekstra (Jack) and Sarah Price (Louise).

Creative Team: Yeaji Kim (Scenic Design), Izumi Inaba (Costume Design), Jackie Fox (Lighting Design), Eric Backus (Sound Design), and Lonnae Hickman (Props). The production stage manager is Rita Vreeland.

Schedule: 

Regular run: July 16-August 7, 2022

Tuesdays: 7:30pm (July 12 and August 26 only)

Wednesdays: 1:00pm and 7:30pm

Thursdays: 7:30pm 

Fridays: 8:00pm

Saturdays: 2:30pm (except July 9) and 8:00pm

Sundays: 2:30pm; and 7:00pm (July 10 and 24 only)

A Touch Tour. Open Captioning and Audio Described performance will be held on Saturday, July 30 at 2:30pm. A Relaxed performance for individuals with sensory sensitivity will be held Sunday, July 24 at 7:00pm.

Location:

Northlight Theatre is located at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie

Tickets:

Previews: $30-$61

Regular run: $30-$89

Student tickets are $15, any performance (subject to availability)

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie. 847.673.6300; northlight.org

Northlight Theatre aspires to promote change of perspective and encourage compassion by exploring the depth of our humanity across a bold spectrum of theatrical experiences, reflecting our community to the world and the world to our community.

Founded in 1974, the organization has mounted over 220 productions, including more than 40 world premieres. Northlight has earned 208 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 36 Awards, as well as ten Edgerton Foundation for New Play Awards. As one of the area’s premier theatre companies, Northlight is a regional magnet for critical and professional acclaim, as well as talent of the highest quality.

Northlight is supported in part by generous contributions from Allstate Insurance; the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; BMO Harris Bank; Bulley and Andrews; Byline Bank; The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; CoBank; ComEd, An Exelon Company; Eckenhoff Saunders; Evanston Arts Council; Evanston Community Foundation; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Full Circle Foundation; The Gross Foundation; Gruman Butkus Associates; John R. Halligan Fund; Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Illinois Humanities; Katten Muchin Roseman LLP; Kirkland & Ellis Foundation; The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation;  Modestus Bauer Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; Niles Township; NorthShore University HealthSystems; Northwestern University; The Offield Family Foundation; The Pauls Foundation; PNC Bank; Polsinelli; Ralla Klepak Trust for the Performing Arts; Room & Board; Sanborn Family Foundation; The Saints Foundation; Dr. Scholl Foundation; The Shubert Foundation, Inc.; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Sullivan Family Foundation; and Tom Stringer Design Partners.

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar: Fall 2021 Theatre Favorites in Chicago

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar

Mask up and see some shows! Photo credit: Milan Pejnovich 

Pictured: Milan Pejnovich, Bonnie Kenaz-Mara (ChiIL Mama), Catherine Hellmann, Deb Frels

The ghost lights have been on 24/7 as stages across the US went dark for over 18 months, while covid ravaged our country. It's not over yet, but with vax cards in hand and masks on faces, we are finally able to gather in person again. Treat yourself! There are many stellar shows on stage in Chicago this fall and we've never been happier to gather with friends and family for a change of scene and some epic story telling. Here are just a few of our favorites. 

Photo credit: B Kenaz-Mara

CHICAGO MAGIC LOUNGE

5050 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640

312-366-4500

https://www.chicagomagiclounge.com/

Music & Magic

Mondays at 7:00pm

Tickets: General Admission $20

Photo credit: B Kenaz-Mara

The Showcase

Tuesdays at 7:00pm

Tickets: Standard: $35; Front Row: $40

Luis Carreon and Paige Thompson, August 10-August 31.

 

Photo credit: B Kenaz-Mara

The Signature Show

Thursdays-Sundays at 7:00pm, Fridays and Sundays at 10pm 

Tickets: $50-$55 (Standard); $65-$75 (Premium, includes 654 Club admission)

Featuring Special Guest Nick Diffatte

654 Club features Luis Carreon 

Special Guest Nick Diffatte is quickly becoming one of the most talked about and in-demand young comic magicians working today. His unique brand of entertainment seamlessly blends dry humor, quick wit, and incredible skill. His performances are presented with perfect comedic timing and a deadpan delivery that has kept audiences laughing uncontrollably all over the country for over 14 years. Most recently, Nick has been seen in a residency at the Planet Hollywood Casino in Las Vegas, The World Famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, luxury cruise lines and “The Late Late Show with James Corden” on CBS.

 

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER

800 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60611

312-595-5600

www.chicagoshakes.com

As You Like It

By William Shakespeare

Adapted & directed by Daryl Cloran

Conceived by Daryl Cloran and the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

In the Courtyard Theater

Regular Run: October 16 – November 21, 2021 

 

Photo credit: B Kenaz-Mara

Set in the ‘60s, the exuberant celebration of love features nearly 20 musical numbers from The Beatles songbook, performed live onstage, including “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Let It Be,” and “Here Comes the Sun.” The company includes Melanie Brezill (Celia) Adam Wesley Brown (Forest Lord/Hymen), Tony Carter (Oliver), Austin Eckert (Charles the Wrestler/Amiens), Lachrisa Grandberry (Audrey), Kevin Gudahl (Duke Senior/Duke Frederick), Heidi Kettenring (Phoebe), Kayvon Khoshkam (Touchstone), Kieran McCabe (Forest Lord), Steven Pringle (Adam/Sir Oliver Martext), Liam Quealy (Orlando), Lakeisha Renee (Rosalind), and Nancy Voigts (Corin).

 

Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski

By Clark Young and Derek Goldman

Directed by Derek Goldman

Starring David Strathairn

In The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare

Press Opening: November 4, 2021 at 7:45pm

Regular Run: November 5 – November 14, 2021

 

Academy Award-nominated actor David Strathairn takes the stage in a tour-de-force solo performance, Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski. Best known for acclaimed performances in Good Night, and Good Luck, Nomadland, and Lincoln, Strathairn takes on the role of real-life World War II hero Jan Karski. After surviving the devastation of Poland by Nazi Germany, Karski swears allegiance to the Polish Underground and risks his life to carry the first eyewitness reports of the Holocaust to the White House, where his warnings are met with inaction and disbelief. Strathairn captures the remarkable life of the self-described “insignificant, little man” who spoke truth in the halls of power in a timely story of moral courage.

 

Q Brothers Christmas Carol

Written by Q Brothers Collective (GQ, JQ, Jax, Pos)

Directed by GQ and JQ

Developed with Rick Boynton

In The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare

Preview Performances: December 8 – December 9, 2021

Press Opening: December 10, 2021 at 7pm

Regular Run: December 11 – December 23, 2021

 

The Theater’s raucous and irreverent holiday tradition returns in a special limited engagement in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare. Created and performed by Chicago hip hop sensations the Q Brothers Collective (GQ, JQ, Jax, and Pos) and developed with Creative Producer Rick Boynton, this wildly entertaining 80-minute reinterpretation of the Charles Dickens classic mashes up hip hop with contemporary musical styles ranging from reggae and dancehall music, to dubstep and epic rock ballads—all underscored with beats spun live at the turntables by DJ Supernova

COURT THEATRE

5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637

(773) 753-4472

www.courtheatre.org

 

Photo credit: B Kenaz-Mara

The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice

by William Shakespeare

Directed by Charles Newell and Gabrielle Randle-Bent

Featuring Kelvin Roston, Jr as Othello

Regular Run: October 17 - November 21, 2021

In addition to live performances, a digital version will be available to stream on-demand.

 

Photo credit: B Kenaz-Mara

Othello—the noble general, husband, scholar, and traveler—fights for his life, right to love, and position in society. When Othello’s closest confidant objects to his actions, their brotherhood is shattered, provoking a series of tragic events for Othello and everyone around him.

Co-directors Charles Newell and Gabrielle Randle-Bent helm this theatrical examination of humanity and tragedy in Shakespeare’s fraught and famous work. Through scenic design that place audiences in the middle of the action, this telling grapples with how complex notions of race, gender, and complicity at the heart of the play’s murderous events speak to a world on the brink of change.

 

DRURY LANE THEATRE

Drury Lane Theatre

100 Drury Lane

Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

(630) 530-8300

http://drurylanetheatre.com

 

Photo credit: B Kenaz-Mara

Forever Plaid

Written and Originally Directed and Choreographed by Stuart Ross 

Musical Continuity Supervision and Arrangements by James Raitt

Originally Produced by Gene Wolsk

Directed and Choreographed by Paul Stancato

With Music Direction by Valerie Maze

Preview Performances: September 17 – September 22, 2021

Press Opening: Thursday, September 23 at 8:00 p.m.

Regular Run: September 24 – November 7, 2021

 

Photo credit: B Kenaz-Mara

On the way to their first big gig, tragedy strikes Forever Plaid, a “guy group” specializing in barbershop quartet harmonies and pitch-perfect melodies. Forever Plaid begins when the guys are given the chance to perform from the afterlife. This smash hit musical is a nostalgic homage to the music of the ‘50s and includes hits such as “Three Coins in the Fountain” and “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing.”

The cast of Forever Plaid features Brian Eng (Sparky), Michael Ferraro (Frankie), Yando Lopez (Jinx) and A.D. Weaver (Smudge).

MERCURY THEATER

3745 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613

(773) 325-1700

www.mercurytheaterchicago.com

 

Sister Act                                                                                                 

Book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellne, and Douglas Carter Beane

Directed by Reneisha Jenkins

Music Direction by Diana Lawrence

Choreography by Christopher Chase Carter

Featuring Chicago Legends Alexis J. Roston (Deloris) and Hollis Resnik (Mother Superior)

Preview Performances: November 5 – November 10, 2021

Press Opening: November 11, 2021 at 7:30pm

Regular Run: November 12, 2021 – January 9, 2022

This feel-good musical comedy is based on the hit 1992 film that has audiences jumping to their feet!  Featuring original music by Tony and Oscar winner, Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), this uplifting musical was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.  When disco diva, Deloris Van Cartier, witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won't be a found: a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and uptight Mother Superior. Using her unique disco moves and singing talent to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church and community but, in doing so, blows her cover.  Sister Act is reason to rejoice!

 

 

NORTHLIGHT THEATRE

9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie, IL 60077

(847) 673-6300

http://www.northlight.org/

 

Songs for Nobodies

By Joanna Murray-Smith

Directed by Rob Lindley

Music Direction by Andra Velis Simon

Featuring Bethany Thomas

Preview Performances: September 23 – September 30, 2021

Press Opening: October 1, 2021at 8pm

Regular Run: October 2 – October 31, 2021

 

This tour-de-force performance celebrates the iconic work of Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Maria Callas. Share in the unexpected encounters between these legendary divas and the ordinary women whose lives were changed by their brush with fame. Featuring such favorites as “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Crazy,” and “Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do,” Songs for Nobodies illuminates the power of song to share a story, heal a heartbreak, and inspire a dream.

 

The World Premiere of

Mr. Dickens’ Hat

A Play with Music

By Michael Hollinger

Directed by David Catlin

Music Direction by Chuck Larkin

Preview Performances: November 26 – December 2, 2021

Press Opening: December 3, 2021 at 8pm

Regular Run: December 4, 2021 – January 2, 2022

 

In a cozy Victorian shop sits the hat of Charles Dickens, who once used it to carry water to the victims of a train wreck (that’s true!). When a pair of bumbling thieves plots to steal it (that’s imaginary!), young Kit sets out to foil their plan, save the hat, and free her father from debtors’ prison. Filled with a host of colorful characters, constables, and carolers, this warm winter’s tale with original music brings to life the universal lesson: “Beneath our hats, we are all the same.”

 

THE SECOND CITY

Mainstage

1616 N. Wells Street, Chicago

312-337-3992

www.secondcity.com

The Second City presents its 109th Mainstage revue

Happy to Be Here*

Press Opening: September 30, 2021 at 7pm

You’re gonna want to sit down for this news. We’re warming up the bentwood chairs and ready to invite you back inside our theater! Join humans on stage making humans in the audience laugh as we toast being together again. Our Mainstage performances are a celebration of our resilience, our relationships, and our mutual need to get back into the habit of making eye contact. We’ve been pushed apart both physically and politically for way too long…now it’s time to enjoy some good, clean (or at the very least...ultra-hygienic) togetherness.

ChiIL out in Chi, IL, mask up, and see some shows! As always, check back with ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) and ChiILMama.com (family friendly) early and often for original reviews, arts and entertainment news, photo filled recaps, giveaways, and more. See you out there!