Great Things at Goodman: Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker Opening and Last Call For 2666

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar

Spring is in the air and stellar shows are springing up all over town. The Goodman's got Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker opening this week, and the five and a half hour epic, 2666 is closing the 20th. Come ChiIL out at The Goodman Theatre, Chicago. 

*The Matchmaker is recommended for audiences age 12 and older.*

The Matchmaker returns to the city of its birth in a new production at Goodman Theatre directed by Artistic Associate Henry Wishcamper. Cunning, crafty and thoroughly modern, Dolly Gallagher Levi knows a good catch when she sees one. So when the wealthy Horace Vandergelder hires her to find him a wife, Dolly doesn’t need to look far to find his perfect mate. The Matchmaker is an uproarious romp that reminds us to embrace the unexpected in our lives. Before the world fell in love with Hello, Dolly!, there was The Matchmaker.

March 5 - April 10, 2016 In the Albert 
Approximate running time: 2 hours and 40 minutes with one intermission

Tony Award nominee Kristine Nielsen (Dolly Gallagher Levi) and Chicago favorite and 3Arts Award winner Allen Gilmore (Horace Vandergelder) lead a diverse company of acclaimed talents and rising stars: Theo Allyn, Behzad Dabu,  Lawrence E. DiStasi, Marilyn Dodds Frank, Sydney Germaine, Marc Grapey, Anita Hollander, Ronobir Lahiri, Elizabeth Ledo, Postell Pringle and Ron E. Rains. 

*This production contains adult language and descriptions of extreme sexual violence. Recommended for mature audiences only.*

Got your tickets to see 2666 yet?! Must close March 20!

Don’t miss Robert Falls’ and Seth Bockley’s critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Roberto Bolaño’s 2666, which the Chicago Sun-Times calls “one of those landmark moments in Chicago theater history.” 

“Proves... the Goodman is not only preeminent but a vital source of ideas on the evolution of theater as an art form”— NEWCITY

Extended by popular demand through March 20!

This epic adaptation of Roberto Bolaño’s internationally acclaimed novel, named the “Best Book of 2008” by Time Magazine and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, is a not-to-be-missed theatrical event.

A soaring adaptation of Chilean-born author Roberto Bolaño’s masterpiece, 2666 begins with a group of hapless European academics hot on the trail of an elusive author—a search that leads them into the dark heart of a Mexican border city where the murders of hundreds of women remain unsolved. This story gives way to a surprising, panoramic portrait of the 20th century that spans more than 100 years and jumps from Spain to Mexico to Germany and beyond, illuminating the power of literature to reflect and transform the world. An unflinching look at the nature of evil, 2666is an ambitious new work unlike any other theatrical experience.

Limited seats remain. Buy now to secure your seat for this epic theatrical adventure before tickets sell out. 

BEST REMAINING AVAILABILITY

Wednesday, March 16 | 6:30pm

Thursday, March 17 | 6:30pm

Friday, March 18 | 6:30pm

The running time of 2666 is five and a half hours total (four hours and 45 minutes, plus three intermissions).

ON SALE: THE MATCHMAKER AT GOODMAN THEATRE'S ALBERT THEATRE 3/5-4/10

BROADWAY’S KRISTINE NIELSEN AND CHICAGO FAVORITE ALLEN GILMORE LEAD  THE MATCHMAKER, THORNTON WILDER’S RARELY-REVIVED UPROARIOUS ROMP AT  GOODMAN THEATRE  ***DIRECTED BY HENRY WISHCAMPER WITH A SET BY NEIL PATEL AND COSTUMES BY JENNY MANNIS,  THE MATCHMAKER APPEARS MARCH 5 – APRIL 10  IN THE ALBERT THEATRE; TICKETS ON SALE NOW***  Casting is complete for Henry Wishcamper’s contemporary take on Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker—the inspiration for the musical Hello, Dolly!, praised as “one of the sweetest and smartest romantic farces ever written” (The Wall Street Journal)—revealing social truths through mistaken identity, outrageous misbehavior and spontaneous romance.  Tony Award nominee Kristine Nielsen is Dolly Gallagher Levi, the vivacious matchmaker who is recruited to find a wife for the wealthy yet prickly widower, Horace Vandergelder, portrayed by Chicago favorite Allen Gilmore. Little does Horace know that Dolly is plotting to become the next Mrs. Vandergelder herself!  Joining Nielsen and Gilmore are a cast of acclaimed talents and rising stars, including Theo Allyn (Ermengarde), Behzad Dabu (Barnaby Tucker), Larry DiStasi (Cabman/Rudolph), Marilyn Dodds Frank (Flora Van Huysen), Sydney Germaine (Minnie Fay), Marc Grapey (Malachi Stack), Anita Hollander (Cook/Gertrude), Ronobir Lahiri (Ambrose Kemper), Elizabeth Ledo (Mrs. Malloy), Postell Pringle (Cornelius Hackl) and Ron Rains (Joe Scanlon). The creative team includes: Neil Patel (sets), Jenny Mannis (costumes), David Lander (lights) and Richard Woodbury (sound). Alden Vasquez is the Production Stage Manager.  The Matchmaker appears in the Goodman’s 856-seat Albert Theatre, March 5 – April 10, 2016. Tickets ($25-$82, as well as a special $10 ticket price for students) go on sale Friday, January 22; visit GoodmanTheatre.org, call 312.443.3800 or purchase in person at the Box Office at 170 N. Dearborn. For images and bio information for the company, visit GoodmanTheatre.org/PressRoom. Ernst & Young LLP and Interactive Health are the Corporate Sponsor Partners. “I’m thrilled to collaborate with this diverse group of extraordinary artists on the play Thornton Wilder called ‘a farce with social implications’—and what I believe is his most unappreciated major play,” said Director Henry Wishcamper, who has earned critical acclaim for his productions of classic plays, including Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes, among others. “Effortlessly charming, funny and romantic, The Matchmaker also touches on many issues—economic inequity, diversity and the search for the authentic self—that feel relevant to our current cultural moment. Like the play, I hope our production will capture both levity and emotional depth.” Broadway star Kristine Nielsen makes her Goodman debut. “This will be my first time back in Chicago since I graduated from Northwestern University 30-odd years ago, and I can't wait to unleash ‘Dolly Gallagher Levi’—crossing fingers for hijinks and hilarity results,” said Nielsen, who previously appeared as ‘Sonia’ in the Broadway sensation Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang, earning her the 2013 Tony Award Nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Play. On the heels of his appearance in Wishcamper’s production of A Christmas Carol, Allen Gilmore joins Nielsen to lead the 13-member cast. “I'm happy to return to the Goodman for this exciting reimagining of Thornton Wilder’s iconic play and am likewise overjoyed to reunite with Henry, Theo Allyn and Ron Rains, my buddies from A Christmas Carol,” said Gilmore, the 2015 recipient of the 3Arts Award, whose past Thornton Wilder credits include Our Town at Seattle’s Intiman Theater.