REVIEW: WATER FOR ELEPHANTS Now Playing Chicago's James M. Nederlander Theatre Through July 5, 2026

Chi, IL Live Shows on our Radar  

Following a celebrated Broadway run, the highly anticipated North American Tour of

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

A New Musical arrives in Chicago for a limited engagement

at the James M. Nederlander Theatre

The cast of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

June 23–July 5, 2026

BOOK BY FOUR-TIME TONY AWARD® NOMINEE RICK ELICE

MUSIC AND LYRICS BY PIGPEN THEATRE CO.

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY SARA GRUEN

ORIGINAL DIRECTION BY TONY AWARD NOMINEE JESSICA STONE

RUNNING TIME

2 hours and 20 minutes including an intermission 

Age Recommendations: 

The show is suitable for ages 8 and up. All persons entering the theater, regardless of age, must have a ticket.

Zachary Keller, Connor Sullivan, Helen Krushinski, and the cast of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

Zachary Keller and the cast of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

The big top is rising, but these roustabouts don't just build, they're multi-hyphenate super-humans who hurl sledgehammers across the stage, while performing choreographed dance moves, singing, and executing circus stunts! Some of my favorite productions of all times incorporate circus arts and/or puppetry in the service of storytelling, and Water for Elephants has a plethora of both! 

Zachary Keller, Connor Sullivan, Helen Krushinski, and the cast of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

All Production Photos by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

We’re sure Water for Elephants will be an elephantine hit of massive proportions! This sordid tale, set in the early 30s, has love, loss, murder, mayhem, giant puppets, and mad circus skills. I loved it so much I bought the tee shirt, and that's only happened three times in 18 years of reviewing shows. 

ChiIL Live Shows on our radar. Highly recommended. Four out of four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. 

Helen Krushinski and Zachary Keller

I've been covering the top circus acts in the world for 2 decades from Cirque Eloise to Teatro Zinzanni. I've been behind the scenes at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey and numerous Cirque du Soleil shows, and I can attest Water for Elephants is the real deal! 

Yemie Woo, Robert Tully, Tyler West, Javier Garcia, ZaKeyia Lacey and Ruby Gibbs

This production features excellent storytelling with superhuman feats, and so many styles of puppetry from breathtaking shadow puppet scenes to haunting, deconstructed circus animals, and even a life-sized elephant! 

Zachary Keller and Helen Krushinski

And what better venue to host this stunning show, surrounded by elephants and mythical beasts? James M. Nederlander Theatre remains our favorite for its stunning architectural flourishes and macabre history of the Iroquois Theater fire of 1903.  

Photos by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

I adored Sara Gruen's 2006 historical novel (first started during the annual NaNoWriMo challenge to write a 50,000 original draft in just 30 days during the month of November.) I've done NaNoWriMo myself 7 times and it's so exciting to see what a draft can become... a best seller, a major motion picture, and a brilliant Broadway production! 

The stage production features a world class cast in a moving celebration of chosen family. This production is a triumph over economic hardship and toxic masculinity. Don’t miss this! ChiIL Mama’s Chi, IL Picks List. 

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).

“STUNNING AND EMOTIONAL.” – The New York Times, Critic’s Pick

“SPELLBINDING ENTERTAINMENT.” – Variety

“★★★★ DAZZLING AND THRILLING.” – Time Out New York

“THE BEST NEW MUSICAL ON BROADWAY!” – Theatermania

Broadway In Chicago is pleased to announce that the hit Broadway musical, WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is now playing a limited engagement at the James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph St.) through July 5, 2026.

Helen Krushinski, Robert Tully, Zachary Keller, and Yves Artieres

Individual tickets, priced from $39.00 to $130.00, are available at www.BroadwayInChicago.com, with a select number of premium, lottery, and rush tickets available. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Groups of 10 or more may purchase tickets by calling (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. See below for more ticket information and the performance schedule.

Stress free rides are FREE – because the only drama should be on stage. Ride Metra to any Broadway In Chicago show all summer long. 

Zachary Keller as Jacob Jankowski,

The tour will be led by Illinois native Zachary Keller (Jacob), alongside Helen Krushinski (Marlena), Robert Tully (Mr. Jankowski), Connor Sullivan (August), Javier Garcia (Camel), Ruby Gibbs (Barbara), Chris Marth (Wade), and Tyler West (Walter).Additional ensemble includes Fran Alvarez Jara, Yves Artieres, Chris Carsten, Adam Fullick, Meghane Poulet, Ella Huestis, Sam Kellar-Long, ZaKeyia Lacey, Andrew Meier, Marina Mendoza, John Neurohr, Bradley Parrish, Carl Robinett, Summer Severin, Serafina Walker, and Yemie Woo.

After losing what matters most, a young man jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a traveling circus, and a life—and love—beyond his wildest dreams. Seen through the eyes of his older self, his adventure becomes a poignant reminder that if you choose the ride, life can begin again at any age.

Helen Krushinski and Zachary Keller

ABOUT WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is based on the critically acclaimed and New York Times Bestselling novel by Sara Gruen. The Broadway musical has a book by four-time Tony Award® nominee Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Starcatcher), a soaring score by the acclaimed PigPen Theatre Co. (The Tale of Despereaux), with tour direction by Ryan Emmons, recreating the original direction by Tony Award nominee Jessica Stone (Kimberly Akimbo).

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS features circus design by Tony Award nominee Shana Carroll (The 7 Fingers), choreography by Tony Award nominees Jesse Robb (Miss Saigon) and Shana Carroll, scenic design by Drama Desk Award winner Takeshi Kata (Clyde’s), costume design by David I. Reynoso (Sleep No More), lighting design by two-time Tony Award winner Bradley King (Hadestown), sound design by Tony Award nominee Walter Trarbach (Spongebob Squarepants), projections by two-time Tony Award nominee David Bengali (Good Night, and Good Luck), hair & makeup design by Luc Verschueren/Campbell Young Associates (A Beautiful Noise), puppet design by Ray Wetmore & JR Goodman, Camille Labarre (Into the Woods), puppet direction by Joshua Holden, music supervision and arrangements by Drama Desk Award winner Mary-Mitchell Campbell (Some Like It Hot) and Benedict Braxton-Smith (Kristin Chenoweth: For the Girls), orchestrations by Tony Award winner Daryl Waters (New York, New York), Benedict Braxton-Smith and August Eriksmoen, fight direction by Cha Ramos (Jagged Little Pill), associate circus designer by Antoine Boissereau, associate choreography by Paige Parkhill, and casting by The TRC Company, Claire Burke, CSA & Frankie Ramirez, CSA.

The WATER FOR ELEPHANTS tour stage management team is led by production stage manager Kathleen Carragee and is supported by Stage Manager Maris Keller and Circus Stage Manager Stan Barile. The company management team is led by company manager Heather Moss with associate company manager Taylor Parris. The tour music director/conductor is Sarah Wilhelm Pool. Mimi Intagliata serves as the Executive Producer for the production.

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS won Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Jessica Stone), Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical (Walter Trarbach), Outstanding Fight Choreography (Cha Ramos) and Outstanding Puppetry (Ray Wetmore, JR Goodman, & Camille Labarre), the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (Jessica Stone), and the Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Choreography (Jesse Robb & Shana Carroll).

GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS released the WATER FOR ELEPHANTS: Original Broadway Cast Recording, which preserves the show’s soaring score by the acclaimed PigPen Theatre Co., which is available on CD and all streaming and digital formats. The CD’s full-color booklet features production photography, complete lyrics, synopsis, and liner notes by book writer Rick Elice. The album is produced by Mary-Mitchell Campbell and Ian Kagey. Broadway Licensing Global has secured worldwide licensing rights to the critically acclaimed Broadway musical WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. The flagship musical publisher for the world’s fastest growing theatrical licensing company, Broadway Licensing Global, includes Dramatists Play Service and Playscripts.

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS had its world premiere in Atlanta on The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre, running from June 7, 2023, through July 9, 2023. The critically acclaimed production had The Atlanta Journal-Constitution raving, “WATER FOR ELEPHANTS is a triumph! Truly dazzles.” WATER FOR ELEPHANTS premiered on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre, running from March 20, 2024, through December 8, 2024. The production was a New York Times Critic’s Pick, with chief NYT theater critic Jesse Green describing the show as “Huge”, “Heart-filling”, and “Emotionally vivid.”

For more information please visit: www.waterforelephantsthemusical.com

Follow us at @w4emusical
#W4EMusical #ChooseTheRide #WaterForElephantsMusical

Connor Sullivan, Helen Krushinski, and Zachary Keller

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

WEEK 1

Tuesday June 23 7:00 PM

Wednesday June 24 7:00 PM

Thursday June 25 7:00 PM

Friday June 26 7:00 PM

Saturday June 27 2:00 PM

Saturday June 27 7:30 PM

Sunday June 28 1:00 PM

Sunday June 28 6:30 PM

WEEK 2

Tuesday June 30 7:00 PM

Wednesday July 1 1:00 PM

Wednesday July 1 7:00 PM

Thursday July 2 7:00 PM

Friday July 3 7:00 PM

Saturday July 4 1:00 PM 4th Of July

Saturday July 4 6:30 PM 4th Of July

Sunday July 5 1:00 PM

TICKET INFORMATION (as of 6/23/26, based on availability and subject to change)

Individual ticket prices range from $39.00—$130.00 and may be purchased at www.BroadwayInChicago.com or any Broadway In Chicago box office. A select number of premium seats are available. Additional fees apply for online purchases.

Tickets for groups of 10 or more are available now by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing

GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. Subscribers may add tickets to their subscription by clicking here or by calling (312) 977-1717. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com. Patrons can participate in a Digital Lottery for a chance to purchase $30 tickets for each performance. In addition to the lottery, a limited number of $49 rush tickets will be offered for each performance—available only in person at the box office on the day of the show. Click here for more information on Digital Lottery and In-Person Rush.

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, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium™

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Follow @broadwayinchicago on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky #broadwayinchicago

The cast of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

REVIEW: SANDBOX THEATRE COLLECTIVE'S HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARS ROVER Now Playing Through July 5TH

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

SANDBOX THEATRE COLLECTIVE PRESENTS 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARS ROVER

Now Playing Through July 5, 2026

AT MRS. MURPHY & SON’S IRISH BISTRO

REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Happy Birthday Mars Rover is out of this world fun with a scrappy, DIY vibe. Extinction was never so colorful and creative. Don't miss this! ChiIL Live Shows on our radar. Highly recommended. Four out of Four Stars.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sandbox Theatre Collective has produced a show that spans space AND time, from the early days of cave people inventing language, to a stark future on a dying planet. And they manage to make it puppet filled and playful! Best of all, tickets are pay what you can, so they're not sky high, and everyone's welcome. Of course, if you have money, empty your wallet or be generous with a digital donation, so this talented collective can keep making their quirky and compelling art. The cast is a great mix of ethnicities, genders, and types, playing myriad characters with panache. The script is unique and the acting is highly entertaining. 

All Production Photos by Alex Albrecht (@shermzilla)

Full disclosure, our son, Dugan Kenaz-Mara was props designer for this show, so we may be a bit biased in that department, but the Mars Rover he designed was charming, and elicited an audience full of awwwwws and empathy the night we caught the show. When the scientists who analyzed it's data anthropomorphized it a bit, the audience was right there with them, and by the time it played happy birthday to itself, in isolation on a distant planet, we felt the loneliness reverberating through the vast emptiness of space. This props heavy production uses items and quick costume changes to present a dizzying array of people and places. 

The Sandbox Collective includes a heavy dose of Northwestern University alums, some of the best and brightest creative minds around. These wunderkinds are mostly Gen Z who spent their formative years surviving the covid pandemic, and it's attending isolation, and total shutdown of live performances. It's made them wonderfully weird, insightful, and wise beyond their years. The playwright, Preston Choi aptly claims his work focuses on social science fiction, Asian-American/mixed race/queer lives, and the horror of being alive, and we're here for it. I catch an average of 6 professional shows a week and I've seldom seen a more accurate and enjoyable encapsulation of what it means to be human.

Sandbox Theatre Collective has a delightfully unpretentious aesthetic, and sneaks in poignant pieces and deep truths while you're busy laughing. Happy Birthday Mars Rover spans a Dr Who worthy swath of centuries, in a production that's both playful and thought provoking. In a series of vignettes, Happy Birthday Mars Rover explores humanities curiosity, intelligence, love, loss, and longing to be remembered. We adored the old school overhead projector presentations of extinct animals, the actors each drew for themselves, in the style of elementary school kids. 

Happy Birthday Mars Rover proves you can make big ideas come to life in a small space, without a Broadway budget. If aliens were attempting to learn about our planet and people, this production would be a great place to start!

Tickets for this production are pay what you can, with suggested prices ranging from $15-$30+ per ticket. Tickets can be purchased through Sandbox’s website or directly from Ticketsource.

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).

Happy Birthday Mars Rover by Preston Choi, directed by Kara Toll.

Performances take place on the second floor at Mrs. Murphy and Sons Irish Bistro on select dates this summer, from June 19th - July 5th. Tickets for this production are pay what you can, with suggested prices ranging from $15-$30+ per ticket. Tickets can be purchased through Sandbox’s website or directly from Ticketsource.

Synopsis:

The Mars Rover sings Happy Birthday to itself as it searches for life on Mars as humans back on Earth search to understand what life is. A medley of snapshots, from cave people naming abstract concepts, bubbles that scream when popped, housewives battling existential dread, cows trying to get to heaven, and
the last human on Earth collecting jars of hair. Happy Birthday Mars Rover is a darkly comedic and whimsically morbid attempt to understand the human condition and life itself.

The cast of Happy Birthday Mars Rover includes Ruby Gibson (she/her, Actor One: “Daughter-ish"), Cooper Eidson (they/them, Actor Two: “Son-ish”) Coco Fernandez (she/they, Actor Three: “Mother-ish”), Gustavo Duran (he/him, Actor Four: “Father-ish”), Emma Marie Montoya (she/they, Actor Five: “Grandmother-ish”), and Nathan LoPinto (he/him, Actor Six: “Grandfather-ish”)

The creative team of Happy Birthday Mars Rover includes Preston Choi (he/him, Playwright), Kara Toll (she/they, Director), Francis Brenner (he/him, Stage Manager), Kate Samuels (she/her, Assistant Stage Manager), Madison Smith (she/they, Fight & Intimacy Coordinator), Rachael Dec (she/her, Movement
Director), Nathan Keiller (he/him, Lighting Design), Emilie Wingate (she/her, Puppet Design), Juan Barrera (he/him, Set Designer), Dugan Kenaz-Mara (he/him, Props Designer), Liza Kolesnik (any pronouns, Costumes), Ave Fitzgerald (she/they, Costumes), and Kate Schnetzer (she/her, Sound Design)

About Preston Choi:
Preston Choi is a Los Angeles based playwright whose work focuses on social science fiction, Asian-American/mixed race/queer lives, and the horror of being alive. His plays include Happy Birthday Mars Rover (2022 Planet Earth Arts Playwriting Award, 2022 Darrell Ayers Playwriting Award), performing class (2021-2022 NNPN Bridge Program, 2020-2021 Playwrights Realm Scratchpad Series), A Great Migration or The Migratory Patterns of the North American Monarch Butterfly and the Development of Fatherless Sons (2021 Paul Stephen Lim Playwriting Award, 2019 NNPN National New Play Showcase, 2017 Agnes Nixon Award), and This Is Not A True Story (2018 CAATA ConFest). His plays have been developed with Interact Theatre, Sideshow Theatre, Artist at Play, Silk Road Rising, CAATA, The Passage Theatre, and Our Perspective. He received a BS in Theatre from Northwestern University and an MFA in Playwriting from UC San Diego.

About Sandbox Theatre Collective:

Sandbox Theatre Collective exists to cultivate a supportive theatrical community in pursuit of exciting art and more fulfilled theatre artists. At Sandbox, artists of all levels work together to create the theatre of their dreams while expanding their skills and exploring their curiosity. Founded in 2022, Sandbox Theatre
Collective began as a small group of Chicago artists looking to create a space where theatre-makers of all backgrounds could show up and create their own work. Since that first day, we’ve embraced a non-hierarchical leadership structure, put our focus into new and reimagined works, and created opportunities for as many local artists as possible. In the past three years, we’ve mounted full productions, performed in living rooms and local businesses, and produced multiple new play development workshops (and a new musical workshop!).

Tickets for this production are pay what you can, with suggested prices ranging from $15-$30+ per ticket. Tickets can be purchased through Sandbox’s website or directly from Ticketsource.

Goodman Theatre's World Premiere of *Iceboy!* Extends Again Through August 9, 2026

Chi, IL Live Shows on our Radar:

ICEBOY! STARTS JUNE 20th and is Now Extended Through August 9th

SIXTEEN ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES OF ICEBOY! STARRING MEGAN MULLALLY AND NICK OFFERMAN, WITH GREY HENSON, CEDRIC YARBROUGH, SARAH STILES, ALEX GOODRICH & MORE, EXTEND THE WORLD-PREMIERE MUSICAL THROUGH AUGUST 9

***WITH MUSIC BY MARK HOLLMANN, LYRICS BY HOLLMANN & JAY REISS, BOOK BY ERIN QUINN PURCELL & REISS, DIRECTED BY MARC BRUNI, CHOREOGRAPHY BY JOANN M. HUNTER***

This summer’s coolest new musical is the hottest at the box office: The Goodman announces an unprecedented two-week extension for Iceboy! Or the Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh, starring Emmy Award winners Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman. The world-premiere production features music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Jay Reiss, and book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss—the Tony Award-winning creators behind Urinetown (Hollmann, with Greg Kotis) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Reiss, with Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn)—with Grey Henson in the title role, Cedric Yarbrough, Sarah Stiles, Alex Goodrich and more. 

Directed by Marc Bruni (Broadway’s The Great Gatsby) with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter (The Penelopiad), it’s at once the capstone of The Goodman’s Centennial Season and its latest in a long history premiering new large-scale American musicals. Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh appears in the 856-seat Albert Theatre June 20 – August 9. The company remains intact during the extension weeks; Shawn Pfautsch will appear as Eugene O’Neill, the role typically played by Nick Offerman, on July 30, 31 and August 1. For tickets ($49 - $199, subject to change) call 312.443.3800 or purchase online at GoodmanTheatre.org/Iceboy. The Goodman is grateful for the support of its Iceboy! sponsors: Edgerton Foundation (New Play Award), Mayer Brown (Lead Corporate Sponsor) and Athletico (Physical Therapy Provider).

Broadway’s brightest star of 1939, Vera Vimm (Megan Mullally), is at the top of her game. But when she adopts a 40,000-year-old Neanderthal discovered frozen in the Arctic, the spotlight begins to shift. As Iceboy (Grey Henson) thaws, he unexpectedly becomes a theatrical sensation, inspiring the “father of the American drama” Eugene O’Neill (Nick Offerman) and challenging Vera for center stage. It’s All About Eve...if only Eve was a caveman.

The cast stars Emmy Award winners Megan Mullally (NBC’s Will & Grace) and Nick Offerman (NBC’s Parks and Recreation), Tony Award nominee Grey Henson (Broadway’s Mean Girls), Cedric Yarbrough (Comedy Central’s Reno 911!), Tony Award nominee Sarah Stiles (Broadway’s Tootsie) and Alex Goodrich (Marriott Theatre’s Hero: The Musical), together with Donterrio (Nightbirds), Melanie Brezill (A Christmas Carol), Will Koski (Paramount Theatre’s Into the Woods), Linda Mugleston (Broadway’s The Music Man), Shawn Pfautsch (The Matchbox Magic Flute), Andrea San Miguel (The Penelopiad), Will Lidke (Theo Ubique’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Leah Morrow(Marriott Theatre’s Heartbreak Hotel) and Jeff Parker (Betrayal).

Goodman Theatre’s artistic priorities have long included large-scale musicals, with 46 productions since 1970—including 21 premieres. The past decade alone has seen productions of eight world-premiere or major revivals, including Iceboy!; The Color Purple (2025); Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (2024); The Who’s Tommy (2023 and on Broadway); Life After (2022); The Music Man(2019); Wonderful Town (2016) and War Paint (2016 and on Broadway).

Twice over the past century, The Goodman has produced Eugene O’Neill’s epic masterwork The Iceman Cometh, directed by Robert Falls—in 2012, starring Nathan Lane and Brian Dennehy, and 1990, in a production that was revived in 1992 at the Abbey Theatre’s 33rd annual Dublin Theatre Festival. Additional O’Neill productions at The Goodman include Desire Under the Elms (1953, 2009 and on Broadway); Anna Christie (1954); Mourning Becomes Electra (1955 and 1976); Long Day’s Journey Into Night (1976, 2002 and on Broadway); A Touch of the Poet (1996); A Moon for the Misbegotten (2000); Hughie (2004); the double-bill of Hughie/Krapp’s Last Tape (2010); and Ah, Wilderness! (2017).

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Megan Mullally (Vera Vimm) created the role of Karen Walker on Will & Grace, a role for which she went on to win two Emmys and four SAG awards. On Broadway, she has starred in How to Succeed in Business, Young Frankenstein, and Grease, in addition to Guys and Dolls at Carnegie Hall, opposite Nathan Lane. On-screen credits include Chasing Summer, Dicks: The Musical, The Righteous Gemstones, Party Down, Reservation Dogs, Bobs’s Burgers, Childrens Hospital, Parks and Recreation, and the upcoming film Goodbye Girl. She tours worldwide with her band Nancy And Beth as creator, lead singer and choreographer.

Nick Offerman (Eugene O’Neill) is an actor, author, humorist and woodworker whose credits include the Emmy award-winning role of Bill in The Last of Us (HBO), Ron Swanson on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, Forest in Devs (FX), and Jinx in Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Apple). Stage credits include the role of Ignatius J. Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces at the Huntington Theatre, Ulysses in Sharr White’s Annapurna, opposite Megan Mullally as Emma at The Odyssey/Evidence Room in LA and The New Group Off-Broadway, Adding Machine at The Minetta Lane (Off-Broadway) and many Chicago credits at Defiant Theatre (Founding Member), Steppenwolf, A Red Orchid, Wisdom Bridge, Chicago Shakespeare and, of course, his 1994 Goodman debut as The Keeper/Fight Captain in Richard II. Recent screen projects include Death by Lightning (Netflix), Sovereign, Voicemails For Isabel (Netflix), Civil War (written and directed by Alex Garland), The Pout Pout Fish, Origin (written and directed by Ava DuVernay), Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Fargo (FX), Smurfs, The Umbrella Academy (Netflix), and NBC’s Making It (co-host and executive producer). He is the voice of Beef Tobin in the FOX animated series The Great North and audiobook narrator for Wendell Berry’s latest, The Need to Be Whole.

Grey Henson (Iceboy) was most recently seen as Bigfoot in Bigfoot! The Musical Off-Broadway, for which he earned a Drama League Award nomination. Broadway credits include Buddy in the 2024 revival of Elf The Musical (Drama Desk Award nomination), Damian in Mean Girls The Musical (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), Storyteller 2 in Shucked, and Elder McKinley in The Book of Mormon, a role that he originated on the first national tour. Other credits include Michael in tick, tick… BOOM! at the Kennedy Center and Tate in the Netflix series Girls5Eva. Carnegie Mellon University Drama.

Cedric Yarbrough (Floyd) is a multi-hyphenate performer recently seen in Clint Eastwood's latest film Juror #2, the Netflix film Unfrosted and the AMC series Lucky Hank. He starred in ABC's Speechless, The Goldbergs, CBS’ Carol's Second Act, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Key and Peele. The Minnesotan began his career with 8 seasons of Comedy Central’s hit Reno 911! as “Deputy S. Jones.” He was seen in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The House, The Boss and Black Dynamite. Yarbrough is also a talented voice-over artist whose work includes Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, Bojack Horseman, Kung Fu Panda 4 and the Peabody Award-winning The Boondocks.

Sarah Stiles (Lambert) is a two-time Tony Award-nominated actor for Tootsie and Hand to God. Other Broadway: On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Avenue Q and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Off-Broadway: The Imaginary Invalid (Red Bull); Into the Woods (Delacorte); Vanities (Second Stage). Stiles stars opposite Kevin James in the Netflix comedy The Crew, is Gladys in the critically acclaimed EPIX Original Series Get Shorty and Bonnie on Showtime’s Billions. She voices Spinel in Steven Universe (Cartoon Network) and Mimzy in Hazbin Hotel (Amazon). Film: Transformers: Rise of the Beast, This Will Never Work, Unsane.

Alex Goodrich (Frankenstein) is thawed to make his Goodman Theatre debut! Chicago credits include several shows at Court Theater, Marriott Theater, Chicago Shakespeare, Northlight, Royal George, Drury Lane and Writers Theater. He’s been nominated several times for a Jeff award and won once. TV credits include Chicago Fire and Shining Girls on Apple TV+.

Mark Hollmann (Music and Lyrics) won the Tony Award®, the Obie Award, and the National Broadway Theatre Award for his music and lyrics to Urinetown The Musical, which went from the 1999 New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) to receive 10 Tony Award® nominations and 11 Drama Desk Award nominations and win the Outer Critics Circle, the Drama League and the Lucille Lortel Awards for best musical.  His other shows as composer/lyricist include The Sting (Paper Mill Playhouse), ZM (Village Theatre Beta Series), Yeast Nation (FringeNYC), Bigfoot and Other Lost Souls (Perseverance Theatre), and The Girl, The Grouch and The Goat (University of Kansas Theatre and Chance Theatre).  For TV, he has written songs for the Disney Channel’s Johnny and the Sprites.  He received his A.B. in music from the University of Chicago, where he won the Louis J. Sudler Award in the Performing and Creative Arts.  He has taught at Princeton University, Columbia College Chicago and the Dramatists Guild Institute.  He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and the Dramatists Guild of America, and has served on the council of the Dramatists Guild as well as on the Tony Award® Nominating Committee.

Jay Reiss (Book and Lyrics) is one of the creators of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which won two Tony awards, and made his Broadway acting debut as the Bee’s word pronouncer, Vice Principal Douglas Panch. He co-wrote the screenplay for The Oranges, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and starred Hugh Laurie, Allison Janney, Oliver Platt and Catherine Keener. He wrote the documentary New Wave: Dare To Be Different, about legendary NY radio Station WLIR. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and later on Showtime. Reiss is a graduate of The Juilliard School’s playwriting program.

Native Illinoisan Erin Quinn Purcell (Book) has been a mainstay in New York’s downtown theater scene for more than 30 years. She was one of the founding members of the critically acclaimed adobe theatre company, and participated as an actor, writer and/or director in countless productions. Writing credits include Duet! A Romantic Fable (Broadway Play Publishing), The Fiona Apple Kwanzaa Explosion (PSNBC), the musical A Fish Story (Jonathan Larson Foundation award) and the Russ Meyer inspired Go-Go Kitty, Go! (Outstanding Play, 2005 New York Fringe Festival).

Marc Bruni (Director) helmed The Great Gatsby (Broadway, West End, Korea) as well as the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Broadway, West End, US and UK Tours, and in Australia- Helpmann Award Best Director). Other credits include Billie Jean(Chicago Shakes), The Sound of Music (Chicago Lyric), Bull Durham (Paper Mill), A Little Night Music (Geffen Hall), Trevor: The Musical (Stage 42, Disney+), Bye Bye Birdie, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, How to Succeed in Business..., 50 Years of Broadway (Kennedy Center), and Hey, Look Me Over!, Paint Your Wagon, Pipe Dream and Fanny (City Center Encores!), Tale of Despereaux (Old Globe, Berkeley), Love All (La Jolla), The Explorers Club (MTC), Ordinary Days (Roundabout), 9 shows for the St. Louis MUNY.  

Company of Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh

Music By Mark Hollmann
Lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Jay Reiss
Book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss
Directed by Marc Bruni
Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter

Alex Goodrich...Frankenstein
Grey Henson... Iceboy
Megan Mullally...Vera Vimm
Nick Offerman...Eugene O’Neill
Sarah Stiles...Lambert
Cedric Yarbrough...Floyd Richards
Donterrio, Melanie Brezill, Will Koski, Linda Mugleston, Shawn Pfautsch, Andrea San Miguel…Ensemble
Will Lidke, Leah Morrow, Jeff Parker…Swing

CREATIVE TEAM

Set Designer...Paul Tate dePoo III
Lighting Designer...Jen Schriever
Costume Designer...Linda Cho
Wig & Hair Designer...Charles “Chuck” LaPointe
Sound Designer...Connor Wang
Music Director/Conductor/Pianist/Additional Arrangements...Vadim Feichtner
Orchestrations...Bruce Coughlin
Music Preparation...John Blane
Voice & Dialect...Michelle Lopez-Rios
Violence & Intimacy...Chels Morgan
Associate Director...Keira Fromm
Associate Sound Designer...Emily Hayman
Associate Choreographer...Liz Ramos
Associate Costume Designer...Patrick Bevilacqua
Associate Wig & Hair Designer/Makeup Designer...Rachael Geier
Associate Lighting Designer...Paul Vaillancourt
Associate Set Designer...Kaitlyn Peterson
Assistant Director...Lo Williams
Assistant Music Director and Cover Conductor...Jo Ann Daugherty
Music Assistant...Jordan Klein
Assistant Sound Designer...Emily Lynch
Assistant Lighting Designer...Emma Berry
Script and Production Assistant...Molly Rosen
Production Assistant...Tuesday Thacker
Line Producer...Malkia Stampley
Second Line Producer...Adam Belcuore

Casting by Lauren Port, CSA and NY Casting by Jim Carnahan, CSA and Jason Thinger, CSA.Jennifer Gregory is the Production Stage Manager. Nikki Blue and Beth Koehler are the Stage Managers.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES

Visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Access for more information about The Goodman’s accessibility efforts.

ASL-Interpreted...July 17 at 7:30pm – An ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.
Audio-Described...July 18 at 2pm; Touch Tour; 12:30pm – Action audibly enhanced via headset.
Spanish-Subtitled...July 18 at 7:30pm – Spanish-translated dialogue via LED sign.
Open-Captioned...July 19 at 2pm – LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

ABOUT THE GOODMAN

Since 1925, The Goodman has been more than a stage. A theatrical home for artists and a gathering space for community, it’s where stories come to life—bold in artistry and rich in history, deeply rooted in the city it serves.

Led by Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, The Goodman sparks conversation, connection and change through new plays, reimagined classics and large-scale musicals. With distinctions including nearly 200 world or American premieres, two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and nearly 200 Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman is proud to be the first theater to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” In addition, the theater frequently serves as a production partner—with national and international companies to Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters—to help amplify theatrical voices.

But The Goodman believes a more empathetic, more connected Chicago is created one story at a time, and counts as its greatest legacy the community it’s built. Generation-spanning productions and programs offer theater for a lifetime; from Theater for the Very Young (plays designed for ages 0-5) to the long-running annual A Christmas Carol, which has introduced new generations to theater over five decades, The Goodman is committed to being an asset for all of Chicago. Education and Engagement programs led by Clifford Director of Education and Engagement Jared Bellot and housed in the Alice Rapoport Center use the tools of theater to spark imagination, reflection and belonging. Each year, these programs reach thousands of people (85% from underserved communities) as well as educators, artists and lifelong learners across the city.

The Goodman stands on the unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations—and acknowledges the many other Nations for whom this land now called Chicago has long been home, including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo, and Mascouten. The Goodman is proud to partner with the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum (Gichigamiin-Museum.org) and the Center for Native Futures (CenterForNativeFutures.org)—organizations devoted to honoring Indigenous stories, preserving cultural memory, and deepening public understanding.

The Goodman was founded by William O. Goodman and his family to honor the memory of Kenneth Sawyer Goodman—a visionary playwright whose bold ideas helped shape Chicago’s early cultural renaissance. That spirit of creativity and generosity endures today. In 2000, through the commitment of Mr. Goodman’s descendants—Albert Ivar Goodman and his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton—The Goodman opened the doors to its current home in the heart of the Loop.

Marsha Cruzan is Chair of the Goodman Theatre Board of Trustees; Diane Landgren is Women’s Board President; and Kelli Garcia is president of the Scenemakers Board for Young Professionals.

Iceboy! Sneak Peek Into Goodman's Rehearsals With Megan Mullally And Nick Offerman

Chi, IL Live Shows on our Radar:

Iceboy! Now in Rehearsals

A PEEK INTO REHEARSALS OF THE NEW MUSICAL ICEBOY!WITH MEGAN MULLALLY AND NICK OFFERMAN, GREY HENSON, CEDRIC YARBROUGH, SARAH STILES, ALEX GOODRICH & MORE 

***WITH MUSIC BY MARK HOLLMAN, LYRICS BY HOLLMAN AND JAY REISS, BOOK BY ERIN QUINN PURCELL AND REISS, ICEBOY! STARTS JUNE 20—MARC BRUNI DIRECTS, JOANN M. HUNTER CHOREOGRAPHS***

Rehearsals are underway for the musical event of the summer: Iceboy! Or, The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O‘Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh. With music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Jay Reiss, and book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss, the world-premiere production is at once the capstone to The Goodman’s Centennial Season and its latest in a longtime history of premiering new large-scale American musicals. 

Iceboy Rehearsals: (L-R) Alex Goodrich, Sarah Stiles, Cedric Yarbrough, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Grey Henson.

Iceboy Rehearsals: (L-R) Mark Hollmann, JoAnn M. Hunter, Erin Quinn Purcell, Jay Reiss, Marc Bruni. Photos by Todd Rosenberg

Marc Bruni (Broadway’s The Great Gatsby and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) directs with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter (The Penelopiad). Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh appears in the 856-seat Albert Theatre June 20 – July 26. Opening night is June 29. For tickets ($44 - $189, subject to change) call 312.443.3800 or purchase online at GoodmanTheatre.org/Iceboy. The Goodman is grateful for the support of its Iceboy! sponsors: Edgerton Foundation (New Play Award), Mayer Brown (Lead Corporate Sponsor) and Athletico (Physical Therapy Provider).

Iceboy Rehearsals: (L-R) Jay Reiss, Sarah Stiles.

"It began as a scrappy little play called Hooray for Iceboy, which Jay and I co-wrote with the adobe theatre company in New York City. Audiences responded right away, which encouraged us to keep going. In 2012, we brought Mark on board—and here we are today,” said playwright Erin Quinn Purcell. "As someone from Illinois, working at The Goodman feels like a theatrical mecca. And there’s something exciting about creating Iceboy! in a place with such a rich history with Eugene O’Neill’s work, for audiences who are so smart and savvy. We hope we live up to that—in a fun way.”

Iceboy Rehearsals: (L-R) Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally.

Broadway’s brightest star of 1938, Vera Vimm  (Megan Mullally), is at the top of her game.  But when she adopts a 40,000-year-old Neanderthal discovered frozen in the Arctic, the spotlight begins to shift.  As  Iceboy (Grey Henson)  thaws, he unexpectedly becomes a theatrical sensation, inspiring the “father of the American drama” Eugene O’Neill (Nick Offerman) and challenging his legendary mother for center stage. It’s All About Eve...if only Eve  was  a caveman.

Iceboy Rehearsals: (L-R) Grey Henson, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Cedric Yarbrough.

“The late 1930s were such a strange time—people would go to the theater at 8:30pm, be out by 11, and then head to a supper club...on a weeknight. When did they sleep? It’s fun to cherry-pick history to suit the story,” said Jay Reiss, the creator of the Tony Award-winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (with Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn). "Iceboy! is still evolving, but together we hope to create something unique and special that we can’t wait for audiences to experience.”

Iceboy Rehearsals: (L-R) Cedric Yarbrough, Alex Goodrich, Donterrio.

The cast stars Emmy Award winners Megan Mullally (NBC’s Will & Grace) and Nick Offerman (NBC’s Parks and Recreation), Tony Award nominee Grey Henson (Broadway’s Mean Girls), Cedric Yarbrough (Comedy Central’s Reno 911!), Tony Award nominee Sarah Stiles (Broadway’s Tootsie) and Alex Goodrich (Marriott Theatre’s Hero: The Musical), together with Donterrio (Nightbirds), Melanie Brezill (A Christmas Carol), Will Koski (Paramount Theatre’s Into the Woods), Linda Mugleston (Broadway’s The Music Man), Shawn Pfautsch (The Matchbox Magic Flute), Andrea San Miguel (The Penelopiad), Will Lidke (Theo Ubique’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Leah Morrow(Marriott Theatre’s Heartbreak Hotel) and Jeff Parker (Betrayal). Casting note: Shawn Pfautsch will appear as Eugene O’Neill, the role typically played by Nick Offerman, at the June 20, 21, 23 and 24 preview performances.

Iceboy Rehearsals: (L-R) Vadim Feichtner

“Bringing this new musical to The Goodman during its Centennial Season is especially meaningful for me. I grew up in downstate Illinois and spent my early adulthood in Chicago working in storefront theaters, dreaming of one day working at The Goodman. I learned so much by seeing world premieres here—so it’s an honor to now have one of my own musicals premiere on this stage,” said Mark Hollmann, Tony Award-winning creator of the musical Urinetown (with Greg Kotis).

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Megan Mullally (Vera Vimm) created the role of Karen Walker on Will & Grace, a role for which she went on to win two Emmys and four SAG awards. On Broadway, she has starred in How to Succeed in Business, Young Frankenstein, and Grease, in addition to Guys and Dolls at Carnegie Hall, opposite Nathan Lane. On-screen credits include Chasing Summer, Dicks: The Musical, The Righteous Gemstones, Party Down, Reservation Dogs, Bobs’s Burgers, Childrens Hospital, Parks and Recreation, and the upcoming film Goodbye Girl. She tours worldwide with her band Nancy And Beth as creator, lead singer and choreographer.

Nick Offerman (Eugene O’Neill) is an actor, author, humorist and woodworker whose credits include the Emmy award-winning role of Bill in The Last of Us (HBO), Ron Swanson on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, Forest in Devs (FX), and Jinx in Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Apple). Stage credits include the role of Ignatius J. Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces at the Huntington Theatre, Ulysses in Sharr White’s Annapurna, opposite Megan Mullally as Emma at The Odyssey/Evidence Room in LA and The New Group Off-Broadway, Adding Machine at The Minetta Lane (Off-Broadway) and many Chicago credits at Defiant Theatre (Founding Member), Steppenwolf, A Red Orchid, Wisdom Bridge, Chicago Shakespeare and, of course, his 1994 Goodman debut as The Keeper/Fight Captain in Richard II. Recent screen projects include Death by Lightning (Netflix), Sovereign, Voicemails For Isabel (Netflix), Civil War (written and directed by Alex Garland), The Pout Pout Fish, Origin (written and directed by Ava DuVernay), Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Fargo (FX), Smurfs, The Umbrella Academy (Netflix), and NBC’s Making It (co-host and executive producer). He is the voice of Beef Tobin in the FOX animated series The Great North and audiobook narrator for Wendell Berry’s latest, The Need to Be Whole.

Grey Henson (Iceboy) was most recently seen as Bigfoot in Bigfoot! The Musical Off-Broadway, for which he earned a Drama League Award nomination. Broadway credits include Buddy in the 2024 revival of Elf The Musical (Drama Desk Award nomination), Damian in Mean Girls The Musical (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), Storyteller 2 in Shucked, and Elder McKinley in The Book of Mormon, a role that he originated on the first national tour. Other credits include Michael in tick, tick… BOOM! at the Kennedy Center and Tate in the Netflix series Girls5Eva. Carnegie Mellon University Drama.

Cedric Yarbrough (Floyd) is a multi-hyphenate performer recently seen in Clint Eastwood's latest film Juror #2, the Netflix film Unfrosted and the AMC series Lucky Hank. He starred in ABC's Speechless, The Goldbergs, CBS’ Carol's Second Act, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Key and Peele. The Minnesotan began his career with 8 seasons of Comedy Central’s hit Reno 911! as “Deputy S. Jones.” He was seen in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The House, The Boss and Black Dynamite. Yarbrough is also a talented voice-over artist whose work includes Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, Bojack Horseman, Kung Fu Panda 4 and the Peabody Award-winning The Boondocks.

Sarah Stiles (Lambert) is a two-time Tony Award-nominated actor for Tootsie and Hand to God. Other Broadway: On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Avenue Q and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Off-Broadway: The Imaginary Invalid (Red Bull); Into the Woods (Delacorte); Vanities (Second Stage). Stiles stars opposite Kevin James in the Netflix comedy The Crew, is Gladys in the critically acclaimed EPIX Original Series Get Shorty and Bonnie on Showtime’s Billions. She voices Spinel in Steven Universe (Cartoon Network) and Mimzy in Hazbin Hotel (Amazon). Film: Transformers: Rise of the Beast, This Will Never Work, Unsane.

Alex Goodrich (Frankenstein) is thawed to make his Goodman Theatre debut! Chicago credits include several shows at Court Theater, Marriott Theater, Chicago Shakespeare, Northlight, Royal George, Drury Lane and Writers Theater. He’s been nominated several times for a Jeff award and won once. TV credits include Chicago Fire and Shining Girls on Apple TV+.

Mark Hollmann (Music and Lyrics) won the Tony Award®, the Obie Award, and the National Broadway Theatre Award for his music and lyrics to Urinetown The Musical, which went from the 1999 New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) to receive 10 Tony Award® nominations and 11 Drama Desk Award nominations and win the Outer Critics Circle, the Drama League and the Lucille Lortel Awards for best musical.  His other shows as composer/lyricist include The Sting (Paper Mill Playhouse), ZM (Village Theatre Beta Series), Yeast Nation (FringeNYC), Bigfoot and Other Lost Souls (Perseverance Theatre), and The Girl, The Grouch and The Goat (University of Kansas Theatreand Chance Theatre).  For TV, he has written songs for the Disney Channel’s Johnny and the Sprites.  He received his A.B. in music from the University of Chicago, where he won the Louis J. Sudler Award in the Performing and Creative Arts.  He has taught at Princeton University, Columbia College Chicago and the Dramatists Guild Institute.  He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and the Dramatists Guild of America, and has served on the council of the Dramatists Guild as well as on the Tony Award® Nominating Committee.

Jay Reiss (Book and Lyrics) is one of the creators of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which won two Tony awards, and made his Broadway acting debut as the Bee’s word pronouncer, Vice Principal Douglas Panch. He co-wrote the screenplay for The Oranges, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, and starred Hugh Laurie, Allison Janney, Oliver Platt and Catherine Keener. He wrote the documentary New Wave: Dare To Be Different, about legendary NY radio Station WLIR. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and later on Showtime. Reiss is a graduate of The Juilliard School’s playwriting program.

Native Illinoisan Erin Quinn Purcell (Book) has been a mainstay in New York’s downtown theater scene for more than 30 years. She was one of the founding members of the critically acclaimed adobe theatre company, and participated as an actor, writer and/or director in countless productions. Writingcredits include Duet! A Romantic Fable (Broadway Play Publishing), The Fiona Apple Kwanzaa Explosion (PSNBC), the musical A Fish Story (Jonathan Larson Foundation award) and the Russ Meyer inspired Go-Go Kitty, Go! (Outstanding Play, 2005 New York Fringe Festival).

Marc Bruni (Director) helmed The Great Gatsby (Broadway, West End, Korea) as well as the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Broadway, West End, US and UK Tours, and in Australia- Helpmann Award Best Director). Other credits include Billie Jean(Chicago Shakes), The Sound of Music (Chicago Lyric), Bull Durham (Paper Mill), A Little Night Music (Geffen Hall), Trevor: The Musical (Stage 42, Disney+), Bye Bye Birdie, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, How to Succeed in Business..., 50 Years of Broadway (Kennedy Center), and Hey, Look Me Over!, Paint Your Wagon, Pipe Dream and Fanny (City Center Encores!), Tale of Despereaux (Old Globe, Berkeley), Love All (La Jolla), The Explorers Club (MTC), Ordinary Days (Roundabout), 9 shows for the St. Louis MUNY.  

Company of Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh

Music By Mark Hollmann
Lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Jay Reiss
Book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss
Directed by Marc Bruni
Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter

Alex Goodrich...Frankenstein
Grey Henson... Iceboy
Megan Mullally...Vera Vimm
Nick Offerman...Eugene O’Neill
Sarah Stiles...Lambert
Cedric Yarbrough...Floyd Richards

Donterrio, Melanie Brezill, Will Koski, Linda Mugleston, Shawn Pfautsch, Andrea San Miguel…Ensemble 

Will Lidke, Leah Morrow, Jeff Parker…Swing

Iceboy Rehearsals: (L-R) Andrea San Miguel, Shawn Pfautsch, Linda Mugleston.

CREATIVE TEAM
Set Designer...Paul Tate dePoo III
Lighting Designer...Jen Schriever
Costume Designer...Linda Cho
Wig & Hair Designer...Charles “Chuck” LaPointe
Sound Designer...Connor Wang
Music Director and Conductor/Pianist...Vadim Feichtner
Orchestrations...Bruce Coughlin
Music Preparation...John Blane
Voice & Dialect...Michelle Lopez-Rios
Violence & Intimacy...Chels Morgan
Associate Director...Keira Fromm
Associate Sound Designer...Emily Hayman
Associate Choreographer...Liz Ramos
Associate Costume Designer...Patrick Bevilacqua
Associate Wig & Hair Designer/Makeup Designer...Rachael Geier
Associate Lighting Designer...Paul Vaillancourt
Associate Set Designer...Kaitlyn Peterson
Assistant Director...Lo Williams
Assistant Music Director and Cover Conductor...Jo Ann Daugherty
Music Assistant...Jordan Klein
Assistant Sound Designer...Emily Lynch
Assistant Lighting Designer...Emma Berry
Script and Production Assistant...Molly Rosen
Production Assistant...Tuesday Thacker
Line Producer...Malkia Stampley
Second Line Producer...Adam Belcuore

Casting by Lauren Port, CSA and NY Casting by Jim Carnahan, CSA and Jason Thinger, CSA.Jennifer Gregory is the Production Stage Manager. Nikki Blue and Beth Koehler are the Stage Managers.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES

Visit GoodmanTheatre.org/Access for more information about The Goodman’s accessibility efforts.

ASL-Interpreted...July 17 at 7:30pm – An ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.
Audio-Described...July 18 at 2pm; Touch Tour; 12:30pm – Action audibly enhanced via headset.
Spanish-Subtitled...July 18 at 7:30pm – Spanish-translated dialogue via LED sign.
Open-Captioned...July 19 at 2pm – LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

ABOUT THE GOODMAN

Since 1925, The Goodman has been more than a stage. A theatrical home for artists and a gathering space for community, it’s where stories come to life—bold in artistry and rich in history, deeply rooted in the city it serves.

Led by Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, The Goodman sparks conversation, connection and change through new plays, reimagined classics and large-scale musicals. With distinctions including nearly 200 world or American premieres, two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and nearly 200 Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman is proud to be the first theater to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” In addition, the theater frequently serves as a production partner—with national and international companies to Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters—to help amplify theatrical voices.

But The Goodman believes a more empathetic, more connected Chicago is created one story at a time, and counts as its greatest legacy the community it’s built. Generation-spanning productions and programs offer theater for a lifetime; from Theater for the Very Young (plays designed for ages 0-5) to the long-running annual A Christmas Carol, which has introduced new generations to theater over five decades, The Goodman is committed to being an asset for all of Chicago. Education and Engagement programs led by Clifford Director of Education and Engagement Jared Bellot and housed in the Alice Rapoport Center use the tools of theater to spark imagination, reflection and belonging. Each year, these programs reach thousands of people (85% from underserved communities) as well as educators, artists and lifelong learners across the city.

The Goodman stands on the unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations—and acknowledges the many other Nations for whom this land now called Chicago has long been home, including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo, and Mascouten. The Goodman is proud to partner with the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum (Gichigamiin-Museum.org) and the Center for Native Futures (CenterForNativeFutures.org)—organizations devoted to honoring Indigenous stories, preserving cultural memory, and deepening public understanding.

The Goodman was founded by William O. Goodman and his family to honor the memory of Kenneth Sawyer Goodman—a visionary playwright whose bold ideas helped shape Chicago’s early cultural renaissance. That spirit of creativity and generosity endures today. In 2000, through the commitment of Mr. Goodman’s descendants—Albert Ivar Goodman and his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton—The Goodman opened the doors to its current home in the heart of the Loop.

Marsha Cruzan is Chair of the Goodman Theatre Board of Trustees; Diane Landgren is Women’s Board President; and Kelli Garcia is president of the Scenemakers Board for Young Professionals.

Iceboy Rehearsals: (L-R) Kiera Fromm, Marc Bruni

All Rehearsal Photos by Todd Rosenberg

Iceboy! Or, The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh
Music By Mark Hollmann 
Lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Jay Reiss 
Book by Erin Quinn Purcell and Jay Reiss 
Directed by Marc Bruni 

Choreographed by JoAnn M. Hunter 

June 20 – July 26, 2026 in the Albert Theatre