Chicago Shakespeare Theater Presents the Midwest Premiere ofJaja's African Hair Braiding January 14–February 2, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents

the Midwest Premiere of

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

Direct from a Tony Award-winning Broadway run

A vibrant comedy about West African immigrant women who find community in a Harlem salon

Written by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Chicago native Whitney White

January 14–February 2 in The Yard

Straight from a twice-extended Broadway run, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents the Midwest premiere of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Hailed as “wickedly entertaining” by The Washington Post and nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Play, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding was written by award-winning, Ghanaian-American playwright Jocelyn Bioh (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, Nollywood Dreams) and is directed by Chicago native, Tony Award nominee, and Obie Award winner Whitney White (Our Dear Dead Drug Lord, What to Send Up When It Goes Down). The production runs January 14–February 2, 2025 in The Yard. 

The cast includes Melanie Brezill, Leovina Charles, Victoire Charles, Yao Dogbe, Mia Ellis, Tiffany Renee Johnson, Jordan Rice, Awa Sal Secka, Aisha Sougou, and Bisserat Tseggai.

This vibrant comedic gem offers a glimpse into the lives of a group of West African immigrant women who find community in a bustling Harlem hair salon. Over the course of a sweltering summer day, love ignites, dreams soar, and secrets unravel. Uncertainty simmers below the surface, and when it boils over, this tight-knit community is forced to confront what it means to be an outsider on the edge of the place they call home. With humor as rich as its characters, this play weaves hilarious moments with profound insights to create “an overwhelmingly affectionate portrait of Black female joy” (TheaterMania). 

Jaja's African Hair Braiding is a co-production with Arena Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theater, and La Jolla Playhouse and is presented in association with Madison Wells Live and LaChanze. The play had its world premiere at Manhattan Theatre Club.

"It's such a joy to be able to give the gift of this whip smart, funny, and original comedy to Chicago audiences,” shared Artistic Director Edward Hall. “Like all great comedies, there is plenty to laugh about and reflect on as Whitney White has orchestrated Jocelyn Bioh's play with the kind of dramatic perfection that is as rare as it is supremely enjoyable.”

"I am thrilled and honored that audiences beyond Broadway will get to come to 'the shop' and meet the vibrant women of Jaja's African Hair Braiding,” says Playwright Jocelyn Bioh. “This play means so much to me as both a native New Yorker and as a first-generation Ghanaian American as it speaks to the heart of what makes our country so beautifully unique: its rich diversity of people and culture. There is a real universality to these women's experiences, and I can't wait for audiences to connect and fall in love with each of them." 

The cast features three performers returning to the Chicago Shakespeare stage: Melanie Brezill, whose CST credits include As You Like It and The Comedy of Errors, along with Broadway and National Tour credits in The Book of Mormon, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Mamma Mia!; Yao Dogbe, returning to CST after appearing in Richard III, Twelfth Night, and Short Shakespeare! Macbeth; and Tiffany Renee Johnson, who appeared in CST’s Red Velvet and whose other Chicago credits include Blues for an Alabama Sky at Remy Bumppo Theatre, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play at Goodman Theatre, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Writers Theatre. 

Making CST debuts are Leovina Charles (The Lion King on Broadway, Lempicka at La Jolla Playhouse), Victoire Charles (Golden Age and Ruined at Manhattan Theatre Club), Mia Ellis (The Amen Corner at Shakespeare Theatre Company), Jordan Rice (Ava DuVernay’s film Selma), Awa Sal Secka (After Midnight at Paper Mill Playhouse, Goddess at Berkeley Repertory Theater), Aisha Sougou (Beehive and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at Marriott Theatre), and Bisserat Tseggai (The Jungle at St. Ann’s Warehouse, For All The Women Who Thought They Were Mad at Soho Repertory Theater).

Playwright Jocelyn Bioh is a Tony Award-nominated, Ghanian-American writer and performer from New York City. Her other work includes Merry Wives, which won the 2022 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Adaptation, Nollywood Dreams, Broadway-bound musical Goddess, and the multi-award-winning School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, which has been produced more than 65 times regionally and in the UK. She was a Tow Playwriting Fellow and has won several playwriting awards including the Drama Guild’s Hull-Warriner Prize, Steinberg Playwright Award, Lortel Award, and Drama Desk Award. Bioh has also written for TV series including Russian Doll, Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, Tiny Beautiful Things, and The Acolyte, and is also writing the upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway musical Once on This Island for Disney.

Director Whitney White is an Obie Award and Lilly Award-winning, as well as a Tony Award-nominated, director, writer, and musician from Chicago. Jaja’s African Hair Braiding marks her CST debut, but it is also a homecoming; she fondly remembers field trips to CST productions as a high school student and credits a Shakespeare workshop at CST as an impactful early-career experience. Her Chicago credits include directing The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington at Steppenwolf Theatre, and other directing credits include the upcoming Broadway production of The Last Five Years starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren, What To Send Up When It Goes Down (NYT Critic’s Pick) and Jordans at The Public Theater, The Secret Life of Bees at The Almeida in the UK, and Soft at MCC Theatre (NYT Critic’s Pick). Original works include Semblance (New York Theatre Workshop), Definition (Bushwick Starr), and Macbeth in Stride (American Repertory Theater, Under the Radar Festival at The Public Theater), for which she won an Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Musical Performance. Her four-part cycle deconstructing Shakespeare’s women is currently in development with American Repertory Theater and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

White is joined by the creative team from the Broadway production, including three-time Tony-winning scenic designer David Zinn (Stereophonic, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical, The Humans), returning to CST after designing the set for The Notebook; costume designer Dede Ayite, the first Black woman to win a Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Play (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding); Tony Award-nominated lighting designer Jiyoun Chang (Stereophonic, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, Slave Play); Tony-nominated original music and sound designer Justin Ellington (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf); Tony-nominated video designer Stefania Bulbarella (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding); and Tony Award-winning hair and wig designer Nikiya Mathis (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding). The company also includes associate director Manna-Symone Middlebrooks, dialect and vocal coach Yetunde Felix-Ukwu, intimacy consultant Sierra Young, associate sound designer Dwaine Potts, stage manager Melanie J. Lisby, and assistant stage manager Brillian Qi-Bell. Casting is by Caparelliotis Casting, Kelly Gillespie and Erica A. Hart.

There will be a student matinee performance during the run which will host nearly 600 students, 90% of whom are from Chicago Public Schools. This is one of many live performance opportunities for students offered in the 2024/2025 season, including student matinees of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Pericles this fall and 40 performances of Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the spring.

I'll be out for the press opening for Jaja’s African Hair Braiding on January 17th, so check back shortly after for my full review. 

More information at chicagoshakes.com/jaja or on social media at @chicagoshakes.  

PERFORMANCE DETAILS:

Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (no matinee on January 15)

Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.

Fridays at 7:00 p.m.

Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Chicago Shakespeare strives to make its facility and performances accessible to all patrons. Accessible seating, assistive listening devices, large-print and Braille programs, and sensory tools are available at every performance. Enhanced performances include:

Audio-described performance with optional touch tour – Sunday, January 26 at 2:00 p.m.

A program that provides spoken narration of a play’s key visual elements for patrons who are blind or have low vision. Touch Tours provide patrons the opportunity to experience, firsthand, a production’s design elements.

Open captioned performances – Wednesday, January 29 at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

A text display of the words and sounds heard during a play, synced live with the action onstage.

ASL interpreted performance – Thursday, January 30 at 7:00 p.m.

All dialogue and lyrics are translated into American Sign Language by two certified interpreters

CREATIVE TEAM

Jocelyn Bioh - Playwright

Whitney White - Director 

David Zinn - Set Designer

Dede Ayite - Costume Designer

Jiyoun Chang - Lighting Designer 

Justin Ellington - Original Music and Sound Designer

Stefania Bulbarella - Video Designer

Nikiya Mathis - Hair and Wig Designer

Manna-Symone Middlebrooks - Associate Director

Yetunde Felix-Ukwu - Dialect and Vocal Coach

Erica A. Hart, CSA - Casting

Kelly Gillespie, CSA - Casting

David Caparelliotis, CSA - Casting

Sierra Young - Intimacy Consultant

Dwaine Potts - Associate Sound Designer

Melanie J. Lisby - Stage Manager

Brillian Qi-Bell - Assistant Stage Manager

CAST

Melanie Brezill - Michelle, Chrissy, LaNiece

Leovina Charles - Vanessa, Sheila, Radia

Victoire Charles - Jaja

Yao Dogbe - James, Franklin, Olu, Eric

Mia Ellis - Jennifer

Tiffany Renee Johnson - Aminata

Jordan Rice - Marie

Awa Sal Secka - Bea

Aisha Sougou - Ndidi

Bisserat Tseggai - Miriam

Onye Eme-Akwari - Nollywood Dreams Actor

Morgan Scott - Nollywood Dreams Actor

Kevin Medesse Aousso - Understudy

Renea S. Brown - Understudy

Debora Crabbe - Understudy

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER (CST)

A Regional Tony Award recipient, Chicago Shakespeare Theater produces a bold and innovative year-round season that includes Shakespeare, original plays, musicals, family programming, and international theatrical events. CST is committed to serving as a cultural center across its three stages—the 700+ seat Yard, 500 seat Jentes Family Courtyard Theater, and the 200 seat Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio as well as in classrooms, neighborhoods, and venues around the world. CST has a deep commitment to education and lifelong learning with robust programming for students, teachers, and lifelong learners, and engagement with communities across the city. Onstage, in classrooms and neighborhoods across the city, and in venues around the world, Chicago Shakespeare is a multifaceted theater—inviting audiences, artists, and community members to share powerful stories that illuminate the complexities, ambiguities, and wonders of our world. www.chicagoshakes.com

World Premiere of Ayn Rand's "It's a Wonderful Life" as Performed by the Conspirators December 20 - 22, 2024

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

THE CONSPIRATORS ANNOUNCE THE WORLD PREMIERE-ISH OF: 

AYN RAND’S “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE” 

AS PERFORMED BY THE CONSPIRATORS, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF PRESIDENT BIDEN—NO WAIT, LIZ CHENEY 

DECEMBER 20 - 22, AT OTHERWORLD THEATRE

CONTENT WARNING: MAY CONTAIN VARIETY ACTS AND HOLIDAY-THEMED SONG AND DANCE.

The running time is 80 minutes with no intermission.

The Conspirators are proud to present the world premiere of Ayn Rand's "It's a Wonderful Life" as Performed by the Conspirators Under the Direction of President Biden NO WAIT, Liz Cheney (RAND/CHENEY) written by Sid Feldman and directed by Wm. Bullion, at the Otherworld Theatre, 3914 N. Clark St, in a very limited run, December 20 - 22. The performance schedule is Friday - Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the door or online at www.conspirewithus.org. 

The Conspirators bring RAND/CHENEY, their “was-going-to-be-annual-until-the-pandemic” holiday tradition back for THREE NIGHTS ONLY! A traditional TV holiday special goes awry when progressive factions demand better content; a series of sensible patriots led by President Biden—NO WAIT, Liz Cheney try to keep back the chaos. The centerpiece is a hilarious retelling of "It's a Wonderful Life" through the eyes of libertarian goddess Ayn Rand.

The cast of RAND/CHENEY includes: Eva Andrews (she/her), Elena Avila (she/they), Meaghan Morris (they/them), Wm. Bullion (in he/his triumphant return), Olivia Anton (she/they), Sarah Franzel (she/her), AL SMART! (they/them), Evan Richter (he/him), Sam Erwin (they/them), Zach Foley (he/him), Brian Rohde (he/him), Demitri Magas (he/him), Andrew Bosworth (he/him), Donaldson Cardenas (he/him), Kate Akerboom (they/she) and Aimee Bass (she/her) on percussion.

Crew includes: Matt Bonaccorso (he/him, stage manager), Wm. Bullion (he/him, director), Sid Feldman (he/him, playwright, style coach, technical director), Mike McShane (he/him, lights), Sebby Woldt (they/them, sound) and Madison Rivers (she/they, music director).

ABOUT WM. BULLION (Director, Artistic Director)

Wm. Bullion is a veteran tragicomedian, director, and actor on the fringe of the Chicago theater fringe. Bullion is an Emeritus member of The Factory Theater, for whom he directed Prophet$ and Born Ready. He started Sliced Bread Productions in 1988 and put up some solid work before it folded in 2008. He co-founded The Conspirators in 2016 (and has proudly directed all their big pieces: Commedia Divina: It’s Worse Than That; Viva La Mort; The Conspirators 125th Anniversary Jubilee, Feat. “The Ineptidemic”; Accidental Death of a Black Motorist; The Deckchairs, or Make the Titanic Great Again; and The Resistible Rise of Herr Helmut Drumpf) but he was a fool to think starting another theater group in Chicago is a viable, sustainable idea. Yet, here we are, getting grants and making stuff for YOU.

ABOUT SID FELDMAN (Author/Style Coach/Producing Director)

Sid Feldman co-founded The Conspirators and has written plays, adaptations, screenplays, reviews and essays. He has produced plays, concerts and events for numerous organizations including New Crime and Sliced Bread Productions (also with Wm. Bullion).

ABOUT THE CONSPIRATORS

The Conspirators are a (still relatively new) theater and performance collective in Chicago dedicated to provoking thought and action through dynamic, immediate theater art. The Conspirators work exclusively in a style of neo-Commedia called “The Style”—a highly theatrical performance mode developed by movie stars Tim Robbins and John Cusack from the techniques of Ariane Mnouchkine, Commedia dell’Arte, Bugs Bunny cartoons and punk rock, as historically performed by New Crime Prod. (R.I.P.) and The Actors’ Gang. The company also offers Style workshops to interested performers of all calibers.

The Conspirators are proud to present the world premiere of Ayn Rand's "It's a Wonderful Life" as Performed by the Conspirators, Under the Direction of President Biden NO WAIT, Liz Cheney (RAND/CHENEY) written by Sid Feldman and directed by Wm. Bullion, at the Otherworld Theatre, 3914 N. Clark St, in a very limited run, December 20 - 17. The performance schedule is Friday - Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the door or online at www.conspirewithus.org.

For more show info, go to www.conspirewithus.org and follow The Conspirators on Facebook and Instagram.

SAVE THE DATE: Three-time Jeff Award winner Ron OJ Parson to direct Hymn at Chicago Shakespeare Theater April 29–May 25

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

Three-time Jeff Award winner Ron OJ Parson to direct 

Hymn

Olivier Award winner Lolita Chakrabarti  re-sets her acclaimed play in Chicago

April 29–May 25 in the Courtyard Theater

Three-time Jeff Award winner, Ron OJ Parson and Hymn, Olivier Award winner, Lolita Chakrabarti

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces renowned Chicago director Ron OJ Parson will helm the North American premiere of Lolita Chakrabarti’s Hymn, making his CST directorial debut. Chakrabarti has re-imagined her play in the South Side of Chicago, following an acclaimed premiere at London’s Almeida Theatre. The creative team also includes scenic and projection designer Rasean Davonté Johnson, costume designer Yvonne Miranda, lighting designer Jason Lynch, and sound designer and composer Willow James. The production runs April 29–May 25, 2025 in the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater. 

Hymn charts the lives of two middle-aged Black men as they form a deep bond in an intimate exploration of the loyalties and betrayals of brothers, fathers, and sons. The play received five-star reviews in its UK premiere from The Observer, The Daily Mail, and WhatsOnStage, which hailed it as “mind-blowingly excellent.”

“I wanted to write a story of two Black men who find love with each other—a familial, platonic love,” says Chakrabarti. “My own male friends have often surprised me with their sensitivity, femininity, fussiness, insecurities, fun, kindness, and warmth—the list goes on. Hymn was born out of my desire to tell a different story. To reframe this play for Chicago is very exciting indeed, and I believe it will lend itself beautifully to this city’s rich culture.”

CST artistic director Edward Hall said, "In my brief time in Chicago it has not taken me long to get acquainted with the work of the brilliant Ron OJ Parson. Both Lolita and I felt he was the missing piece in this delicate jigsaw, and I am deeply happy that the play resonated so powerfully with him. This will be Ron’s Chicago Shakespeare debut, and I am delighted to be welcoming the director of such a huge and important body of work into our company."

“I’ve long admired the work at Chicago Shakespeare, during my theater journey here in Chicago,” said Parson. “I am truly honored to be working on Hymn by world-renowned playwright Lolita Chakrabarti. As my journey continues, what better play than a play about brothers, family, love, faith, and hope. What the world needs a lot of. Peace.”

Lolita Chakrabarti won the Olivier Award for Best New Play for her adaptation of Yann Martel’s novel Life of Pi, which later went on to a Tony Award-winning Broadway run and a national tour. Her adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the West End last year. Chakrabarti’s debut play Red Velvet enjoyed an acclaimed run at CST in 2017.

Ron OJ Parson is the co-founder and former artistic director of Onyx Theatre Ensemble, a resident artist at Court Theatre, and an ensemble member at TimeLine Theatre. In 2022, he received the Zelda Fichandler Award from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation and was recognized as the Chicago Tribune’s Chicagoan of the Year for Theater. He has won three Jeff Awards for directing for Relentless at TimeLine Theatre, and Blues for an Alabama Sky and Fences at Court Theatre. Other credits include East Texas Hot Links, The Lion In Winter, Arsenic and Old Lace, Two Trains Running, King Hedley II, Radio Golf, Five Guys Named Moe, Gem of the Ocean, Seven Guitars, Jitney, and The Piano Lesson at Court Theatre, Trouble in Mind, Too Heavy For Your Pocket, and A Raisin in the Sun at TimeLine Theatre Company, Toni Stone and Sweat at Goodman Theatre, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and East Texas Hot Links at Writers Theatre.

Parson is joined on the creative team by scenic and projection designer Rasean Davonté Johnson, a two-time Jeff Award winner returning to Chicago Shakespeare after Measure for Measure and It Came From Outer Space, with other recent credits including Romeo and Juliet at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Lucha Teotl at Goodman Theatre, and Her Honor Jane Byrne at Lookingglass Theatre; costume designer Yvonne Miranda, who makes her CST debut with recent credits including Leroy & Lucy at Steppenwolf Theatre, Primary Trust at Goodman Theatre, and The Hot Wing King at Writers Theatre; lighting designer Jason Lynch, a Jeff Award winner returning to CST after Beauty and the Beast, with other credits including Layalina and the ripple, the wave that carried me home at Goodman Theatre and Choir Boy at Steppenwolf Theatre; and sound designer and composer Willow James, who returns to CST after Twelfth Night, with other credits including A Christmas Carol, The Penelopiad, and The Nacirema Society at Goodman Theatre.

More information at chicagoshakes.com/hymn or on social media at @chicagoshakes.  

CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER (CST)

A Regional Tony Award recipient, Chicago Shakespeare Theater produces a bold and innovative year-round season that includes Shakespeare, original plays, musicals, family programming, and international theatrical events. CST is committed to serving as a cultural center across its three stages—the 700+ seat Yard, 500 seat Jentes Family Courtyard Theater, and the 200 seat Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio as well as in classrooms, neighborhoods, and venues around the world. CST has a deep commitment to education and lifelong learning with robust programming for students, teachers, and lifelong learners, and engagement with communities across the city. Onstage, in classrooms and neighborhoods across the city, and in venues around the world, Chicago Shakespeare is a multifaceted theater—inviting audiences, artists, and community members to share powerful stories that illuminate the complexities, ambiguities, and wonders of our world. www.chicagoshakes.com

A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY Via Blank Theatre Company December 6th, 2024 - January 5th, 2025 at The Greenhouse Theatre Center

 Full Cast & Creative Team Set For 

A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY 

At Blank Theatre Company

Blank Theatre Company presents the cast and creative team for the final show of their 2024 season, A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY by Tony Kushner. A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY was originally produced by the Heat and Light Company (New York) and is produced by special arrangement with Broadway Play Publishing Inc, NYC. I'll be catching it on opening night, December 10th, so check back soon for my full review. 

Set against the backdrop of 1930’s Germany, this gripping drama follows a group of artists and activists as they navigate the rise of fascism and the erosion of democracy. As their personal lives intertwine with the political upheaval of the time, they must confront the unfortunate parallels to our contemporary world. Kushner's poignant exploration of power, resistance, and the human spirit resonates more than ever in today's turbulent times, offering both a haunting reflection on history and a powerful call to action. 

A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY will be directed by Blank’s co-Artistic Director Danny Kapinos and assistant directed by Sophie Murk. Jeff-nominated Cindy Moon returns to Blank to design costumes. Other creatives on the team include Ellie Humphries (Lighting Design), Marcus Klein (Scenic Design), James Allen (Composer), Alex J. Gendal (Projection Design), Reiley Duffy (Props Designer), and Line Bower (Technical Director).

A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY features Katherine Schwartz (Agnes Eggling), Grant Carriker (Gregor Bazwald), Brandy Miller (Paulinka Erdnuss), Raúl Alonso (Vealtninc Husz), Shannon Bachelder (Annabella Gotchling),  Lilah Weisman (Zillah), Grayson Kennedy (Roland), Ann James (Die Alte), Hadar Zusman (Rosa Malek), Alex Levy (Emil Traum), and Ben Veatch (Gottfried Swetts). Alex Albrecht, Brice Baron, Peyton Hooks, Sonya Shea Robinson, Jeffrey David Thomas, and Natalie Younger will understudy.

"This beautiful play has been a favorite of ours for many years, and we are excited to continue our mission of presenting works from the recent past that we feel are worthy of being considered classics. While this piece is a departure from our typical musical theatre programming, we hope audiences will be dazzled by the language and compelled by the characters of this great piece of writing,” say Co-Artistic Directors Dustin Rothbart and Danny Kapinos.

A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY is the final mainstage production of Blank’s 2024 season and runs December 6th, 2024 - January 5th, 2025 at The Greenhouse Theatre Center, 2257 N Lincoln Ave., in Lincoln Park.Tickets range from $15 - $35. Additional information is available at www.blanktheatrecompany.org.

SAVE THE DATE: Tickets On Sale January 7, 2025 for Chicago Theatre Week 2025 February 6 – 16, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar: 

League of Chicago Theatres, in partnership with Choose Chicago, Presents 

Chicago Theatre Week 2025

February 6 – 16, 2025

Tickets go on sale starting Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Here at ChiIL Live Show and ChiIL Mama, I personally catch over 200 shows a year, and often closer to 300! We're passionate about Chicago's world class theatre scene, and cover everything from scrappy, low budget storefronts to opulent operas, and Broadway touring extravaganzas. The weather in Chicago may be frightful, come February, but our theatre's delight-FULL. Save the date on January 7th at 10am and get out of the deep freeze and into some hot shows at a huge discount. We've been covering Chicago Theatre Week (#CTW25) since its inception and it always makes ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List. There are plenty of family friendly picks, adult shows, and something for every taste. Our talent pool here in Chicago is deep, so don't miss this!

Chicago Theatre Week (#CTW25), an annual celebration of the rich tradition of theatre-going in Chicago during which visitors and residents can access value-priced tickets, will take place February 6-16, 2025. For the third consecutive year, HotTix.org will host Chicago Theatre Week Continued from February 17-23, 2025, which will extend Theatre Week discounts to participating productions for an additional week.

The value-priced CTW tickets will be $30, $15, or less. Tickets will go on sale at 10:00am CST on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at ChicagoTheatreWeek.com.

Last year’s Chicago Theatre Week saw massive ticket sales with more than 18,000 tickets sold to 81 participating productions for more than 446 performances. 64 theaters participated in CTW 2024, with 29 neighborhoods and suburbs represented. The program continues to bring in new audiences to area theatres with approximately 58% of patrons visiting their chosen theatre for the first time. Chicago Theatre Week also raises the visibility of the theater industry, as evidenced by the 144,689 unique visitors to ChicagoTheatreWeek.com from the tickets sale date through the end of Theatre Week.

A small sample of the many productions expected to participate are:

Sondra Radvanovsky in Concert – Lyric Opera

Singin’ In the Rain in Concert – Lyric Opera

A Raisin in the Sun – Court Theatre

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical – Drury Lane

Avaaz – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

The Heart Sellers – Northlight Theatre

Fool for Love – Steppenwolf Theatre Company

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Betrayal – Goodman Theatre

Winter Series – Hubbard Street at Harris Theater for Music and Dance

Fat Ham – Goodman Theatre and Definition Theatre

The announcement of Chicago Theatre Week 2025 comes as Choose Chicago, the League of Chicago Theatres, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events present the second Chicago Theater Season campaign. From now until the end of the year, this campaign will encourage locals and visitors to explore productions across Chicago’s diverse theater community. For find more information on the 2024 Theater Season campaign, including a full calendar of performances and ticketing information, visit TheaterSeason.com.

League of Chicago Theatres Executive Director Marissa Lynn Jones comments, “Chicago Theatre Week is a time for exploration and discovery. It is a pleasure to bring new audiences to our treasured stages that bring talent from across the globe. Chicago is the home of the best theatre artists in the world with stories for all ages and experiences.’ 

“Chicago offers one of the most dynamic performing arts scenes in the world," said Choose Chicago Interim President and CEO Rich Gamble. "I am proud to support Theatre Week in partnership with the League of Chicago Theatres. Initiatives like this and our Chicago Theater Season campaign are critical to attracting new audiences to our venues and ensuring residents and visitors alike have the opportunity to experience the excitement and vibrancy of live theater in Chicago for generations to come."

Chicago Theatre Week is presented by the League of Chicago Theatres in partnership with Choose Chicago. Subscribe to the Theatre Week email newsletter for updates and announcements.

The official hashtag for Chicago Theatre Week 2025 is #CTW25.

 

About Chicago theatre 

Chicago theatre is the leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theatres to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 7 which have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. Each year Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world. For more information, visit www.chicagoplays.com. #ChiTheatre

The League of Chicago Theatres’ Mission Statement

Theatre is essential to the life of a great city and to its citizens. The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres, which leverages its collective strength to support, promote and advocate for Chicago’s theatre industry. Through our work, we ensure that theatre continues to thrive in our city.

About Choose Chicago

Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city and its member business community.

Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and tag #ChicaGOandKNOW. For more information, visit choosechicago.com. Support the theatre community this fall during Theater Season and explore more than 100 shows happening now through the end of the year at TheaterSeason.com.

LOOKINGGLASS ANNOUNCES TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND PREPARES TO REOPEN WITH CIRCUS QUIXOTE JANUARY 30, 2025

LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS: FOUNDING ENSEMBLE MEMBER DAVID SCHWIMMER 

AND CHICAGO ATTORNEY JAMES (JIMMY) OH

STRENGTHENING ITS LEADERSHIP AS LOOKINGGLASS 

PREPARES TO REOPEN WITH 

CIRCUS QUIXOTE, JANUARY 30, 2025

The 2024/2025 Season Includes Two World Premieres: Circus Quixote, Jan. 30 – March 30, 2025, and Iraq, But Funny, May 29 – July 20, 2025; a Renovated Lookingglass Lobby, Bar and Café Also Reopens Thursday, Jan. 30

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we've been covering Lookingglass Theatre Company and reviewing all their shows for over 15 years. We're elated that they're returning with a new managing director, Jamey Lundblad, a new artistic director, Kasey Foster, a longtime favorite of ours on stage and behind the scenes, and a couple of powerhouse board members. David Schwimmer and James (Jimmy) Oh are fabulous assets to have on board. We can't wait to check out Lookingglass' new lobby makeover, and 2 world premiers shows coming in January and May! 

After pausing its operations last year to reorganize and create a new business model, Chicago’s Tony-Award winning Lookingglass Theatre Company is proud to announce two new Board members as it prepares to reopen January 30, 2025: founding ensemble member, actor and director David Schwimmer and Chicago employment and healthcare attorney James (Jimmy) Oh. Lookingglass’ Board of Directors is now composed of 25 business, civic and arts leaders charged with advancing the mission of this ensemble-based company founded in 1988. Located inside the historic Water Tower Water Works building, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave., Lookingglass will present two world premieres this season: Circus Quixote, Jan. 30 – March 30, 2025, and Iraq, But Funny, May 29 – July 20, 2025, plus Young Ensemble performances and special events in neighborhoods throughout Chicago. A renovated lobby, bar and café also reopens Thursday, Jan. 30, with its menu and programming to be announced in the coming months. The full list of Board members and 2024/2025 season details may be found at LookingglassTheatre.org. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Jimmy and David to our Board of Directors, as we continue to strengthen Lookingglass’ leadership at this pivotal moment for the Company,” said Board Chair Richard Chapman. “David and Jimmy bring a passion for the performing arts and unique skill sets and networks that will help advance our vital mission—to redefine the limits of theatrical experience and to make theatre exhilarating, inspirational and accessible to all.”

Jamey Lundblad (formerly with the City of Chicago’s Cultural Affairs department) joined Lookingglass as managing director this fall, and ensemble member and multi-hyphenate artist Kasey Foster was named artistic director earlier this year. Additionally, this past spring, the Company welcomed four new members into its ensemble: Atra Asdou, Wendy Mateo, Ericka Ratcliff and Matthew C. Yee.

“Lookingglass has been my artistic home for more than three decades, and I have worked hard to sustain it, but this is my first time serving on the Board,” said David Schwimmer. “I’m incredibly excited to partner with our dedicated Board of Directors, talented Ensemble and hardworking Staff to bolster an organization that means so much to me, and to Chicago.”

“My passion for theatre is personal. All four of our sons performed in children’s theatre, three earned theatre degrees—and now they’re working in the arts,” said Jimmy Oh. “So, I’m thrilled to be directly involved in and supporting the creative industries through my Board service at Lookingglass, one of the best regional theatres in the U.S.”

ABOUT DAVID SCHWIMMER

David Schwimmer’s many television and film acting credits include the hit comedy series “Friends,” for which he received his first Emmy Award nomination, “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson” for which he received a second Emmy nomination, “Band of Brothers,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Madagascar 1, 2 &; 3,” “Feed the Beast,” “Six Days Seven Nights,” “Apt Pupil,” “The Pallbearer,” “Duane Hopwood,” “The Iceman,” “The Laundromat” and “Little Death.” Schwimmer executive produced and starred as the lead in the Sky TV/Peacock original sitcom “Intelligence” and in “Extrapolations” for Apple TV+.  

He will next be seen in Disney’s anthology series “Goosebumps,” based on R.L. Stine’s bestselling Scholastic series.

Schwimmer has directed over twenty plays, including his adaptations of Studs Terkel’s RACE and Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle for Lookingglass and Laura Eason’s Sex with Strangers for the Second Stage Theatre. Other stage credits outside of Lookingglass include Detroit at Playwrights Horizons, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial on Broadway and the premiere of Neil LaBute’s Some Girls in the West End, London.

Schwimmer’s television and film directing includes ten episodes of “Friends,” the HBO series “Little Britain USA,” “Growing Up Fisher” for NBC, the feature films “Since You’ve Been Gone,” “Run Fat Boy Run” and the independent drama “Trust” starring Clive Owen, Catherine Keener and Viola Davis. He also produced the film “LOVE” directed by Alexander Zeldin for the BBC based on his play produced at the National Theatre in London.

ABOUT JAMES (JIMMY) OH

Jimmy Oh is an employment and healthcare attorney based in Chicago, with a passion for theatre. At Epstein Becker Green, Oh’s work traverses all three of the firm’s core practices: employment, labor and workforce management (ELWM); health care and life sciences (HCLS) and litigation and business disputes. He  has tried cases in federal courts around the country on both employment and healthcare-related issues. 

Oh is a member of Epstein Becker Green’s ELWM Steering Committee, health employment and labor (HEAL®) strategic industry group (which consists of members of both the ELWM and HCLS practices) and litigation and business disputes practice. He also holds leadership roles on the firm’s Diversity and Professional Development Committee and serves on the Executive Committee of the firm’s Minority Attorney Forum.

In addition, he has published numerous articles and made presentations on a variety of topics. He is a graduate of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and Northwestern University.

ABOUT THE 2024/2025 SEASON

WORLD PREMIERE 

Circus Quixote

January 30 – March 30, 2025

Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave. 

Based on Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote of La Mancha

Written and Directed by Kerry and David Catlin

Circus by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi

Produced in Association with Actors Gymnasium

Somewhere in La Mancha there lived a man who read so many books that his brains dried up…Saddle up with Lookingglass as they go tiltingly, acrobatically into the dreamy madness of Don Quixote and his impossible folly-filled quest to bring good-deed doing back into the world— whether the world wants it or not!

Circus Quixote production sponsors include Greg Thompson & Greg Cameron and Marla Mendelson, M.D. & Stephen Wolf. 

WORLD PREMIERE 

Iraq, But Funny 

May 29 – July 20, 2025 

Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave. 

Written by Atra Asdou 

Directed Dalia Ashurina 

A raucous satire about five generations of Assyrian women reclaiming their stories, as narrated by a British guy. Making its world premiere at Lookingglass Theatre, Ensemble Member Atra Asdou’s original dark comedy jauntily marches through the Ottoman Empire to modern-day U.S.A. exploring history, family and dysfunction.  

2024/2025 season sponsors are Joan & Paul Rubschlager, Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, HMS Media, Waldorf Astoria Chicago and the City of Chicago. 

Lookingglass Young Ensemble 

March 2025 

The Lookingglass Young Ensemble (YE) is a group of Chicago-area young adults, ages 13-18 years old, committed to building their theater skills, lifting their voices and developing theircreativity through collaborative creation. Three months of rehearsal and ensemble-building amongst this incredible group of artists will culminate in three public performances. 

 

Lookingglass Outdoors 

Summer 2025

Lookingglass takes their art outside the historic Water Tower Water Works and into the neighborhoods through special events like Sunset 1919, educational opportunities like summer camp and recurring programs that tour around town. This summer, Lookingglass continues its ambitious video project to bring Chicago together despite the lines that divide us, 50 Wards: A Civic Mosaic. The series currently has 10 wards available for viewing at LookingglassTheatre.org. 

ABOUT LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY

Founded in 1988 by graduates of Northwestern University, Lookingglass Theatre Company is a nationwide leader in the creation and presentation of new, cutting-edge theatrical works and in sharing its ensemble-based theatrical techniques with Chicago-area students and teachers through Education and Community Programs. Guided by an artistic vision centered on the core values of collaboration, transformation and invention, Lookingglass seeks to capture audiences’ imaginations leaving them changed, charged and empowered. Recipient of the 2011 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Lookingglass has built a national reputation for artistic excellence and ensemble-based theatrical innovation. Notable world premieres include Mary Zimmerman’s Tony Award-winning Metamorphoses and The Odyssey, J. Nicole Brooks’ Her Honor Jane Byrne, David Schwimmer’s adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and Studs Terkel’s Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel about the American Obsession, Matthew C. Yee’s Lucy and Charlie's Honeymoon and David Catlin’s circus tribute to Lewis Carroll, Lookingglass Alice, which was captured by HMS Media and reached 1.6 million PBS viewers. Lookingglass Alice is now available to more than four million students worldwide through Digital Theatre+. Work created by Lookingglass artists has been produced in Australia, Europe and dozens of cities throughout the United States.

Guarneri Hall Celebrates Schoenberg’s Seminal Composition Pierrot Lunaire in Concert Series Pierrot Unmasked December 9-10, 2024

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Guarneri Hall celebrates Schoenberg’s seminal composition 

Pierrot lunaire in concert series 

Pierrot Unmasked

With Different Experiences on December 9th and 10th at 6:30 p.m.

The 2-day event enlivens the melodrama on the tragic-comic character Pierrot via poetry reading and theatrical performance, followed by Q&A and intimate reception with the artists

The nonprofit Guarneri Hall, a state-of-the-art, custom-built classical music venue in the heart of downtown Chicago at 11 E. Adams St., presents Pierrot Unmasked, a concert series exploring the poetic and theatrical context of Arnold Schoenberg’s seminal melodrama, Pierrot lunaire. On December 9th and 10th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Pierrot Unmasked presents two different performances around the tragic-comic character Pierrot from Commedia dell'Arte, one with a reading of Albert Giraud’s poems on which Pierrot lunaire is based, and the other featuring a lively theatrical performance. Tickets can be purchased at guarnerihall.org, with general admission priced at $40 and student discounts available.

The stock character Pierrot originated in the Commedia dell’Arte of 17th-century Italy. This sad clown has been a source of artistic inspiration since, reflected in the work of many French painters and Symbolist poets. Giraud’s 50-poem set, Pierrot lunaire: rondels bergamasques, formed the basis of the commission that resulted in Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire. The extended tonality of Schoenberg’s musical language super-charges the haunting, other-worldly quality of Giraud’s poems, making both performances of Pierrot lunaire uniquely evocative and modernistic experiences.

Guarneri Hall’s unique pair of evenings will provide context for Pierrot lunaire with in-depth perspectives on the literary and theatrical histories of the Pierrot character. Each evening will culminate in a performance of Pierrot lunaire by soprano Kristina Bachrach with pianist Daniel Pesca, flutist Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson, clarinetist Graham Steele Johnson, and Guarneri Hall’s resident ensemble, NEXUS Chamber Music, and include a post-performance Q&A session with the performers and event organizers. While the music is the same both nights—taking a cue from Schoenberg himself, who with his circle frequently staged performances where works were played twice in their entirety—the two evenings promise to offer uniquely different experiences, as outlined below.

Pierrot Unmasked: Pierrot the Poet

Monday, December 9th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.

Renowned poet David Yezzi of Johns Hopkins University will discuss the interpretive implications of existing translations of the Giraud poems followed by a performance of the Schoenberg by Bachrach and NEXUS Chamber Music. Yezzi is an American poet, editor, actor, and professor, who currently teaches poetry in the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University. He last appeared in Guarneri Hall in 2021, reading poems of Emily Dickinson and Gustav Mahler.

Pierrot Unmasked: Pierrot the Actor

Tuesday, December 10th, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.

Pierrot the Actor will feature a semi-staged theatrical performance of Pierrot lunaire directed by actor-director Jim Iorio, Associate Professor of Theatre at Roosevelt University. The evening begins with Iorio providing the historical background of the character Pierrot, and completes with a semi-staged theatrical performance of the Schoenberg by Bachrach and NEXUS Chamber Music, directed by Iorio.

Performing artists include Kristina Bachrach, soprano; Daniel Pesca, piano; Brian Hong, violin and viola; Alexander Hersh, cello; Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson, piccolo and flute; Graeme Steele Johnson, clarinet and bass clarinet.

About Guarneri Hall

Guarneri Hall NFP delivers extraordinary classical music to a broad and diverse audience through a curated mix of live performances and original music videos. The hall is a uniquely intimate, custom-built, 60-seat venue in the heart of downtown Chicago with optimal acoustics designed by Threshold Acoustics. In addition to presenting live performances that connect audiences to the dynamism of live performance with unparalleled intimacy, Guarneri Hall also produces high-quality video content designed to advance classical music in the digital age. Named after the famous Italian family of luthiers whose prominence in violin making is equaled only by that of Stradivari, Guarneri Hall (pronounced gwar-NAIR-ee) was founded in 2018 by esteemed violinist and violin dealer Stefan Hersh. For more information on Guarneri Hall visit guarnerihall.org.

Photos left to right, top to bottom: David Yezzi, Jim Iorio, Kristina Bachrach, Daniel Pesca, Brian Hong, Alexander Hersh, Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson, Graeme Steele Johnson.

Court Theatre Presents A Raisin in the Sun January 31 – March 2, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Court Theatre presents

A Raisin in the Sun

Written by Lorraine Hansberry

Leon Savage, Untitled; courtesy of the South Side Community Art Center

Directed by Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent

January 31 – March 2, 2025

Court Theatre – under the continuing leadership of Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, with interim artistic leadership from Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent and Senior Managing Producer Heidi Thompson Saunders – is thrilled to present Lorraine Hansberry’s masterpiece A Raisin in the Sun, winner of a Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award nominee for Best Play, and the first play written by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway. This production will run January 31 – March 2, 2025 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. 

The cast of A Raisin in the Sun includes Shanesia Davis (Lena Younger/Mama); Brian Keys (Walter Lee Younger); Kierra Bunch (Ruth Younger); Martasia Jones (Beneatha Younger); Jeremias Darville (Travis Younger, alternating); Di'Aire Wilson (Travis Younger, alternating); Elliot Charles Johnson (Joseph Asagai); Charles Andrew Gardner (George Murchison); Julian Parker (Bobo); Vincent Teninty (Karl Lindner); and J. Nicole Brooks (Mrs. Johnson).

The creative team includes Andrew Boyce (scenic design); Raquel Adorno (costume design); Maximo Grano De Oro (lighting design); Willow James (sound design); Khalid Long, PhD (production dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA (casting); Kate Ocker (production stage manager); and Jaclynn Joslin (assistant stage manager).

Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is a stunning portrayal of a family’s fight for dignity and the right to dream. As the Youngers await their recently deceased patriarch’s life insurance check, they allow themselves to imagine a bigger life – a life with room to breathe – until those plans are thrown into jeopardy. Hansberry’s language rings as wise and prescient as ever in her moving answer to Langston Hughes’s question, What happens to a dream deferred?

Staged sixty years after Lorraine Hansberry’s passing, Senior Artistic Producer Gabrielle Randle-Bent (Antigone) brings Hansberry’s masterpiece home to Chicago’s vibrant South Side and Court’s stage for the very first time.

Accompanying this production of A Raisin in the Sun is a suite of public programs, including:

●      Community Reads Series, presented in partnership with Chicago Public Library at the Blackstone Branch

○      Community Reads Social at the Blackstone Branch of the Chicago Public Library (4904 S. Lake Park Avenue)

○      Community Reads Book Club at the Blackstone Branch of the Chicago Public Library (4904 S. Lake Park Avenue)

○      Community Reads Post-Show Conversation at Court Theatre (5535 S. Ellis Avenue)

●      Agora Conversation – A Dream Deferred: Black Mobility and Housing – at the National Public Housing Museum, presented in partnership with the National Public Housing Museum (625 N Kingsbury Street)

●      Let’s Talk About Art at the Hyde Park Art Center, presented in partnership with the Hyde Park Art Center (5020 S. Cornell Avenue)

●      Bushman Screening and Lecture at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, presented in partnership with the University of Chicago’s Film Studies Center (915 E 60th Street)

Tickets to A Raisin in the Sun are available now, and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (773) 753-4472 or online at  www.CourtTheatre.org. Information about the public programming offerings will be available online at  www.CourtTheatre.org.

A Raisin in the Sun is sponsored by Bel Brands USA, Mesirow, and Gustavo Bamberger and Martha Van Haitsma. A Raisin in the Sun is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com.

Featuring: Shanesia Davis (Lena Younger/Mama); Brian Keys (Walter Lee Younger); Kierra Bunch (Ruth Younger); Martasia Jones (Beneatha Younger); Jeremias Darville (Travis Younger, alternating); Di'Aire Wilson (Travis Younger, alternating); Elliot Charles Johnson (Joseph Asagai); Charles Andrew Gardner (George Murchison); Julian Parker (Bobo); Vincent Teninty (Karl Lindner); and J. Nicole Brooks (Mrs. Johnson).

Creatives: Andrew Boyce (scenic design); Raquel Adorno (costume design); Maximo Grano De Oro (lighting design); Willow James (sound design); Khalid Long, PhD (production dramaturg); Becca McCracken, CSA (casting); Kate Ocker (production stage manager); and Jaclynn Joslin (assistant stage manager).

 

Dates:             

Previews:                   January 31 – February 7, 2025

Press Opening:       February 8, 2025 at 7:30pm

Regular Run:             February 9 – March 2, 2025

 

Schedule:       

Wed/Thurs/Fri:           7:30 p.m.

Sat/Sun:                     2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

 

Accessible Performances:       

ASL Interpretation on March 1, 2025 at 12:30pm

Touch Tour on March 2, 2025 at 12:30pm

Audio Description and Open Captioning on March 2, 2025 at 2:00pm

                     

Location:  Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave.

 

Tickets:           

$42.00 – $72.00 Previews

$58.00 – $90.00 Regular Run

Student, group, and military discounts available

 

Box Office:      

Located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago; (773) 753-4472 or www.CourtTheatre.org.

Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. In residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago’s historic South Side, we engage our audiences with intimate and provocative experiences that inspire deeper exploration of the enduring questions that confront humanity and connect us as people.

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.

Chicago Magic Lounge Presents Trent James in Static Magic Wednesdays Beginning January 8, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Chicago Magic Lounge Presents

Trent James in Static Magic

Wednesdays beginning January 8, 2025

Chicago Magic Lounge also announces new Monday night show, addition of Chef Hunter Moore

Chicago Magic Lounge, Chicago’s home for close-up magic, presents the first Artist-In-Residence show of the 2025 season, Trent James’ Static Magic. In this new show from one of the country’s fastest-rising magicians, Trent mixes humor and wit with personal stories growing up as a second-generation magician. Static Magic runs Wednesdays at 7:00pm, January 8 – March 26, 2025. I'll be out for the press opening January 22, so check back shortly after for my full review. Tickets are priced $42 (Main Floor) and $47.50 (Front Row). Tickets for all Chicago Magic Lounge shows are available at the box office, (312) 366-4500 or online at chicagomagiclounge.com..

The Chicago Magic Lounge proudly presents its newest production, The Close-Up Show. Three featured magicians will perform sleight-of-hand each Monday on the Harry Blackstone Cabaret stage, with the magician's most subtle movements projected live onto the big screen for the audience to see. Enjoy being fooled as you follow the magician's every move. You will have an up-close view of the magic wherever you are seated and might even be part of the act! No two shows are alike!

The Close-Up Show seating begins at 7:00 p.m., and the stage show starts at 7:30 p.m. The show's runtime is approximately 90 minutes, with two brief breaks between acts, and does not include table magic before the stage show.

In addition to welcoming world-class magic talent, Chicago Magic Lounge is pleased to announce the addition of Chef Hunter Moore to its kitchen where he will create a small, exciting menu that changes seasonally and fits in with the concept of Chicago Magic. Examples of new menu items include crab fritters, braised short rib sliders, and flatbread with prosciutto and marinated melon.

About Trent James

Trent James is quickly becoming one of the top magicians working today. Trent adds a fresh spin on an art form that’s been around for centuries. You won’t find him pulling rabbits out of top hats or a dramatic spotlight forcing the audience to take him seriously. He prefers a much more casual approach, combining sleight of hand magic with humor and intimate connection.

At a very young age, he received over twenty awards recognizing his skill in magic, including being the youngest recipient of the prestigious Milbourne Christopher Award, a distinction previously given to David Copperfield and Penn and Teller. Since then, Trent has built a career traveling the world, performing at colleges, comedy clubs, corporate events, luxury cruise ships, and headlining iconic venues such as The Chicago Magic Lounge and The Magic Castle in Hollywood. No matter the circumstances, Trent James will make you fall in love with magic.

About Chef Hunter Moore

At sixteen, Hunter Moore got his first professional job at a cheeseburger joint in Florida. He moved to Champaign-Urbana after high school, where he began to think creatively about food while working at a mom-and-pop Italian spot and a primarily vegan deli and bakery. From there, he moved to Chicago to attend culinary school. Once out of school, Moore worked his way through some of the city’s best kitchens, including Spiaggia, Avec, Girl and the Goat, and Lula Cafe, deepening both his knowledge of and passion for the craft of quality ingredients and seasonality as well as cooking and hospitality in general. Hunter opened Parsonʼs Chicken & Fish in May of 2013 as the Executive Chef, creating an evolving seasonal menu that has received much acclaim and successfully opening four locations.

Also Happening at Chicago Magic Lounge

Music & Magic

Mondays at 7:00pm through December 23, 2024

Tickets: General Admission $30

 

The Showcase

Tuesdays at 7:00pm

Tickets: Standard: $37.50; Front Row: $42

Artist-in-Residence Series

Mister Danny’s Magic In Session

Wednesdays at 7:00pm through December 18, 2024

Tickets: Standard: $42.50; Front Row: $47.50

By day, Mister Danny is Mister Rudnick, an advanced high school chemistry teacher. By night (and weekends and summer break), he practices his lifelong passion as an award-winning professional magician. In Magic in Session, Mister Danny fuses his two professional personas into one, presenting awe-inspiring magic that he has perfected over years of practice and study in a way only a science teacher can. While most magicians go to great lengths to conceal the secrets of magic, Mister Danny believes that the secret is the best part!

The Signature Show

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

Tickets: Front Row $89.50 - $96, Premium Main Floor (main floor banquette and main floor cabaret) $76.00 – $82.50, Standard (rail and elevated banquette) $68.50 - $75, Mezzanine $55.00 – 61.50. 

 

Family Show

Sundays at 3:30pm

Tickets: Standard: $40; Front Row: $50

Tickets for all Chicago Magic Lounge performances are available at the box office, (312) 366-4500 or online at chicagomagiclounge.com. Chicago Magic Lounge is a 21+ venue. Ages 16+ allowed to ticketed evening shows with a legal guardian. Ages 5+ are allowed to The Family Show. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. The staff and performers of the Chicago magic lounge are fully vaccinated for covid 19. Ticket holders must attest to being fully vaccinated against covid-19 or have tested negative within 48 hours prior to your visit to enter the premises.

For a complete schedule of performances and more information about Chicago Magic Lounge, resident and guest performers, and more, please visit chicagomagiclounge.com.