SAVE THE DATES: 42ND STEPPENWOLF THEATRE SEASON ANNOUNCED FOR 2017/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro and Executive Director David Schmitz have announced 2017/18 Season. The nation’s premier ensemble theater, Steppenwolf celebrates its 42nd season with seven captivating shows—three world premieres and four Chicago premieres—that embrace diversity, compassion and imagination.

“The plays we programmed this season embrace conversations about what American culture is, the stories we tell ourselves and the truths we all share,” 

shares Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro.

Highlights include Aziza Barnes’s ingenious portrait of a day in the life of four young women of color in New York City; the return of ensemble members Francis Guinan and John Mahoney in a beautifully moving play by fast-rising star Jessica Dickey; a dangerous and timely international farce from Matthew-Lee Erlbach, directed by ensemble member Tina Landau; the Chicago premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s Guards at the Taj with the original cast—Omar Metwally and Arian Moayed—and director, ensemble member Amy Morton; an offbeat and touching Chicago premiere of an Obie award-winning play from Clare Barron, directed by Jonathan Berry; and Jen Silverman’s bold, wickedly funny play The Roommate featuring ensemble members Ora Jones and Sandra Marquez. As previously announced, ensemble member Tracy Letts’s new political play, The Minutes, directed by Anna D. Shapiro, will receive its world premiere production at Steppenwolf before transferring directly to Broadway in spring 2018.

“With plays filled with humor and joy, introspection and irreverence, Steppenwolf Theatre is poised and ready to join the art we make with the moment we are in, and we plan on being a vital, uplifting and humane cultural leader for our city and our country, both of which need us now more than ever,” adds Shapiro.

Next season features ensemble members Alana Arenas, Ian Barford, Gary Cole, Audrey Francis, Francis Guinan, Tim Hopper, Ora Jones, Tina Landau, Sandra Marquez, John Mahoney, James Vincent Meredith, Amy Morton, Caroline Neff and newest ensemble member Namir Smallwood.

2017/18 Subscription Memberships are now on sale. Pricing starts at $100; and there are several options available. Subscription Memberships are for audiences who prefer to lock in their seats and dates in advance, while enjoying perks such as easy and free exchanges, ticket discounts and access to seats before the public. For audiences looking for more flexibility with all the perks, Steppenwolf Flex Card Memberships provide six ticket credits for use anytime, to any show. Student, educator and access discounts offered. To purchase, visit Audience Services at 1650 N Halsted St, call 312-335-1650 or visit steppenwolf.org/memberships.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s 

2017/18 Season
(All plays, artists and dates are subject to change)

Chicago Premiere
The Rembrandt

By Jessica Dickey
Directed by Hallie Gordon
Featuring ensemble members Francis Guinan and John Mahoney
September 7 – October 22, 2017

In the Upstairs Theatre

When a museum guard decides to touch a famous Rembrandt painting, a remarkable journey across the ages ensues. Spanning centuries of human experience, Jessica Dickey’s The Rembrandt movingly explores the power of creative expression and the sacrifices we make in the pursuit of love and beauty, reminding us that though our beliefs may die with the sound of our voice, it’s the love we share—and the art that love inspires—that finds eternity.

Hailed as a “talent to watch” by the New York Times, Jessica Dickey is an award-winning actor and playwright most known for her play The Amish Project, which opened Off Broadway at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater (Helen Hayes Award, Barrymore Award, among others). The Rembrandt was commissioned and produced (then titled The Guard) by the Ford’s Theatre as part of the Women’s Voices Festival and was awarded the Stavis Award for Playwriting. 

Hallie Gordon is the Artistic Director of Steppenwolf for Young Adults (SYA) and an artistic producer at Steppenwolf. Gordon will direct Taylor Mac’s Hir this summer, and has directed several shows for SYA including Monster (currently playing through March 9), George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, The Book Thief, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The House on Mango Street and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, which transferred Off-Broadway, among others.

World Premiere
The Minutes
By ensemble member Tracy Letts 

Directed by artistic director Anna D. Shapiro 

Featuring ensemble members Ian Barford, Francis Guinan and Tim Hopper 

November 9 – December 31, 2017

In the Downstairs Theatre

Steppenwolf’s production of The Minutes will premiere at Steppenwolf and then move directly to Broadway in Spring 2018. Remaining casting TBA. The Minutes will mark the fifth collaboration between Shapiro and Letts; and the seventh play by Letts that will premiere at Steppenwolf.

The Minutes, Tracy Letts’s scathing new comedy about small-town politics and real-world power, the writer who brought you August: Osage County exposes the ugliness behind some of our most closely-held American narratives while asking each of us what we would do to keep from becoming history’s losers.

Tracy Letts is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright, actor and Steppenwolf ensemble member. He is the author of the plays Linda Vista (running March 30 – May 21, 2017), Mary Page Marlowe, The Scavenger’s Daughter, Superior Donuts, August: Osage County (Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award), Man from Nebraska (Pulitzer Prize finalist), Bug and Killer Joe. Also an actor, he received the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actor in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. TV and film credits include Lady Bird, The Lovers, Christine, Elvis and Nixon, The Big Short, HBO’s “Divorce" and two seasons as Sen. Lockhart on Showtime’s “Homeland.”

Anna D. Shapiro is a Tony Award-winning director and Artistic Director of Steppenwolf. She has directed several notable productions at Steppenwolf, including Visiting Edna, Mary Page Marlowe, August: Osage County (2008 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards), Man from Nebraska and The Motherf**ker with the Hat (also on Broadway, 2011 Tony nomination for Best Director). Broadway credits include Larry David’s Fish in the Dark, Of Mice and Men and the Steppenwolf revival of This Is Our Youth.

World Premiere
BLKS

By Aziza Barnes
Directed by Nataki Garrett
Featuring ensemble member Namir Smallwood
December 7, 2017 – January 21, 2018

In the Upstairs Theatre

Some days feel like they will never end. After a morning that includes a cancer scare and kicking her girlfriend out of the house, Octavia decides to have a last turn up with her best friends. In poet Aziza Barnes’s ingenious portrait of a day in the life of four young women of color in New York City, BLKS explores the joy and anguish of growing up and out. Riotously funny and magically rendered, Barnes’s playwriting debut marks the arrival of a truly original contemporary American voice.

Winner of the 2015 Pamet River Prize, Aziza Barnes’s first full length collection, i be but i ain’t is from YesYes Books, 2016. They are a Cave Canem Fellow, co-founder of The Conversation Literary Festival and co-host of the podcast, The Poetry Gods. Barnes is a graduate of New York University and participant in the 2016 Ojai Playwrights Conference.

Named in American Theatre Magazine’s “One to Watch”, Nataki Garrett is the Associate Artistic Director of Denver Center for the Performing Arts, a Company Member at Woolly Mammoth, and co-Artistic Director of BLANK THE DOG PRODUCTIONS (BTD). Most recently for BTD she directed Carolyn Bryant, which focuses on the decades-long silence of the woman for whom Emmett Till was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955. Garrett directed An Octaroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins at Woolly Mammoth, which will be remounted this July.

Chicago Premiere
You Got Older

By Clare Barron
Directed by Jonathan Berry
Featuring ensemble members Audrey Francis and Caroline Neff
January 25 – March 11, 2018

In the Downstairs Theatre

There’s a haunted place between where we started and where we need to be that finds the most tender among us—and breaks them open. In You Got Older, Clare Barron’s bawdy, irreverent and touching play, Mae, brokenhearted and unemployed, returns home to care for her ailing father and escape the loneliness of a life that just can’t seem to get off the ground.

Clare Barron’s plays have been produced by Page 73, Woolly Mammoth, Clubbed Thumb and The Bushwick Starr, and will be presented by Playwright Horizons in 2018. She is the recipient of an Obie Award, the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award and the Page 73 Playwriting Fellowship. Barron was also the co-winner of the inaugural 2015 Relentless Award established in honor of Philip Seymour Hoffman for her play Dance Nation.

Jonathan Berry is an artistic producer at Steppenwolf and prolific Chicago director. His Steppenwolf directing credits include Constellations, Melinda Lopez's Gary for the First Look new play series and A Separate Peace for Steppenwolf for Young Adults. A company member of both Steep and Griffin Theatres, Berry has also directed for many Chicago companies, including Goodman Theatre, Steep, Griffin, Remy Bumppo, Lifeline and The Gift.

The Doppelgänger (an international farce) 

By Matthew-Lee Erlbach
Directed by ensemble member Tina Landau 

Featuring ensemble members Alana Arenas, Gary Cole, Ora Jones, Sandra Marquez and James Vincent Meredith 

April 5 – May 20, 2018

In the Downstairs Theatre 

In the dangerous back channels of international resource politics, a wealthy British businessman suffers an untimely accident just before a critical African copper deal is signed. So when his unwitting (and witless) American doppelgänger is thrust into negotiations to avert intercontinental disaster, chaos erupts, leaving us wondering: whose side are we supposed to be on... and who will save Africa? This new American farce is a hilarious, irreverent and timely look at the back-room deals that shape our world and the unlikely cast of characters who make them.

Matthew-Lee Erlbach is an actor and playwright from Chicago and NYC whose plays include the acclaimed solo play, Handbook for an American Revolutionary and Eager to Lose, a Burlesque Farce in Rhyming Verse (Ars Nova). His plays have been developed with The New Group, Vineyard, Ars Nova, MCC and Williamstown, among others. A recipient of the 2017 Humanitas Prize New Voices Award and member of Ars Nova’s 2014/15 Play Group, he has written for Showtime's Masters of Sex as well as for Nickelodeon, MTV, WWE and The Huffington Post.

Acclaimed writer, director and teacher, Tina Landau has been a Steppenwolf ensemble member since 1998. Recent work includes directing/conceiving The SpongeBob Musical and ensemble member Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Head of Passes (The Public, upcoming at Mark Taper Forum), among others. On Broadway, Landau has directed Tracy Letts’s Superior Donuts and the revival of Bells are Ringing. For Steppenwolf, she has directed The Wheel, Hot L Baltimore, The Brother/Sister Plays, The Tempest and more.  

Chicago Premiere

Guards at the Taj
By Rajiv Joseph
Directed by ensemble member Amy Morton 

Featuring original cast members Omar Metwally and Arian Moayed
May 31 – July 15, 2018

In the Upstairs Theatre

India 1648. The dawn will reveal for the first time the extraordinary beauty of the Taj Mahal, built as a tribute to the ruler who demanded its construction. But for two hapless imperial guards, the morning light brings with it an unspeakable task that will shake their faith in God, the empire and their lifelong friendship. This boldly funny and deeply moving play examines the true meaning of beauty and the cost of transcendence in a world that confuses the value of both.

Rajiv Joseph’s Broadway play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist for drama, and also awarded a grant for Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition to Guards at the Taj, New York credits include The North Pool (Vineyard Theater), Gruesome Playground Injuries (Second Stage Theatre) and Animals Out of Paper (Second Stage Theatre), among others. He wrote for the Showtime series “Nurse Jackie” and was the co-screenwriter of the film Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner.

Amy Morton directed the world premiere of Guards at the Taj at the Atlantic Theater Company in 2015, and returns with the original cast for the Chicago debut. Morton has been an ensemble member since 1997 and directed several Steppenwolf productions including Clybourne Park, American Buffalo, Dublin Carol, The Pillowman, among others. She has performed in more than 30 Steppenwolf productions, including Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (also on Broadway, Tony nomination) and August: Osage County (also at the National Theatre and Broadway, Tony nomination). Currently she stars as Trudy Platt in the NBC drama series Chicago P.D.

Chicago Premiere
The Roommate
By Jen Silverman
Director TBD 

Featuring ensemble members Ora Jones and Sandra Marquez 

June 21 – August 5, 2018 

In the Downstairs Theatre 

Sharon is Midwestern nice. But to Robyn, her new roommate from the Bronx, that just means nosy and very, very talkative. A comical mismatch leads to a surprising and touching friendship in this new comedy about how early-life choices lead to mid-life challenges and the unexpected rewards of bridging the divide.

Jen Silverman’s The Roommate premiered at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville in 2015, and has received subsequent productions at South Coast Rep, Williamstown and SF Playhouse. Additional work includes The Moors, Phoebe in Winter, The Dangerous House of Pretty Mbane (Barrymore Award) and Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Boops (Woolly Mammoth). She is a member of New Dramatists, and has developed work with the O’Neill, New York Theatre Workshop, Portland Center Stage, Berkeley Rep and the Royal Court in London. A recipient of the Helen Merrill and Yale Drama Series Awards, she’s also a two-time MacDowell Fellow and 16/17 Playwrights of New York (PoNY) Fellow at the Lark.

Memberships & Ticket Information

Last season Steppenwolf expanded from a 5-play to 7-play season and with that has expanded the ways in which audiences can experience all the offerings. Steppenwolf Flex Card Memberships include the Steppenwolf Black Card and the Red Card. The Black Card provides six ticket credits that can be used at any time for any production; credits are valid for one year with the option to add on credits as needed. Membership perks include easy and free exchanges, access to seats before the general public, savings on single ticket prices and bar and restaurant discounts for pre- and post-show socializing. The Red Card offers audiences under the age of 30 the option to purchase six ticket credits at a discounted price to use towards any play, anytime.

Steppenwolf’s Subscription Memberships allow audiences to lock in dates and confirm seats in advance and receive all the membership perks. Options include 7-Play, 6-Play and 5-Play Subscription Memberships, in addition to discounted Student/Educator Series and Accessible Series.

To purchase a 2017/18 Subscription Membership, visit Audience Services at 1650 N Halsted St, call 312-335-1650 or visit steppenwolf.org/memberships. Single tickets to the 2017/18 will go on sale at a later date.

Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks

Located in front of the 1700 Theatre is Steppenwolf’s café & bar, Front Bar: Coffee and Drinks. Open daily from 8am to midnight, Front Bar is a creative space to grab a drink, have a bite, or meet up with friends and collaborators, day or night. A morning and evening menu is curated by Chef Chris Pandel, and artisanal coffee and expresso is provided by La Colombe. Functioning as a stand-alone entity, the café & bar also connects to Steppenwolf’s existing main building creating an expanded lobby space. Front Bar was developed with consultation from Steppenwolf’s friends and neighbors, Boka Restaurant Group (BRG), along with interior designers Karen Herold and Kayce Carter of Studio K and the marketing and design firm Grip. More info at front-bar.com.

Visitor Information & Accessibility

Steppenwolf is located at 1650 N Halsted St near all forms of public transportation and is wheelchair accessible. Our parking facility consists of both a covered garage and an open-air lot, located just south of our theater at 1624 N Halsted. Valet parking service ($14 cash) is available directly in front of the main entrance and street and lot parking are also available. For last minute questions and concerns, patrons can call the Steppenwolf Parking Hotline at 312-335-1774.

Committed to making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to everyone, performances featuring American Sign Language interpretation, open captioning and audio description are offered during the run of each play. Assistive listening devices and large-print programs are available for every performance. Steppenwolf has an induction loop on both the main and balcony levels of our Downstairs Theatre and in the 1700 Theatre.More info at steppenwolf.org/access.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation’s premier ensemble theater. Formed by a collective of actors in 1976, the ensemble has grown to 48 members who represent a remarkable cross-section of actors, directors and playwrights who continue to redefine the landscape of acting and performance. Thrilling and powerful productions from Balm in Gilead to August: Osage County—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony Awards—have made the theater legendary. Steppenwolf produces hundreds of performances and events annually in its three spaces: the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre. Artistic programing includes a seven-play season; a two-play Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; Visiting Company engagements; and LookOut, a multi-genre performances series. Education initiatives include Steppenwolf for Young Adults, which engages 15,000 participants annually from Chicago’s diverse communities; the School at Steppenwolf for actors; and Professional Leadership Programs for arts administration training. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, nearly 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success both nationally and internationally. Anna D. Shapiro is the Artistic Director and David Schmitz is the Executive Director. Eric Lefkofsky is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees. 

For additional information, visit steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

REVIEW: Diva-Worthy Rendition of Hedwig And The Angry Inch A Must See

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH 

will play a limited two-week engagement through March 19, 2017.

Broadway In Chicago is pleased to announce the 2014 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Revival HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH now playing at the Oriental Theatre 

(24 W Randolph). 

Euan Morton (Hedwig) IS a rock star. Hannah Corneau (Yitzhak) is also amazing, and her solos are a treat. Stellar show!! Don't miss this. Highly recommended. 

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, it was our great pleasure to catch the press opening of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH at Chicago's iconic Oriental Theatre Wednesday night. I'd read the book, but never seen Hedwig performed, so this was truly a treat. The Broadway version doesn't come off as darkly disturbing as the novel. Diva-worthy transexual, Hedwig, is such a huge presence, and the loud score is so upbeat, accompanied by strobe lights, that much of the audience seemed to be swept up in rock concert mode, having so much fun that the truly horrific backstory doesn't fully seep in until later. 

This saga begins as a patriotic tale of a young, blond haired, blue eyed Aryan boy in East Berlin, obsessed with American pop culture and music, with his head in the oven to hear his portable radio acoustics better. This child, the abandoned son of an American soldier, should have been able to emigrate by nature of his parentage. Yet, he was coerced into an unwanted sex change operation by a predatory older American military man who seduced him into believing the only way out from behind the wall was marriage to him. The surgery was botched, and later Hedwig found herself living alone in a US trailor park near an army base, after her husband ran off with another young boy. A year later, the wall was torn down, but Hedwig was left permanently neutered and disfigured for her hard won freedom, and turning tricks to survive.

The next stage is a conservative's worst nightmare. Hedwig begins to babysit on the base and falls for and seduces the General's underage son away from church and heterosexuality and into the lifestyle of a platinum winning musician. When the rock star takes her music and her heart and abandons her, she marries again, not for love, but to rescue a young Jewish drag queen from the dregs of his existence, so he can emigrate. He becomes her emotional whipping boy until she comes to grips with her past and matures into a more compassionate being, passing the torch of performing in full Hedwig garb to him.

Ultimately this is a universally human tale of love and loss, betrayal and beauty that transcends the details and makes Hedwig a beloved, sympathetic character. We adore this survivors tale, of immense talent, drive, determination and perseverance in the face of wrenching betrayals. Hedwig's physical and emotional transformation from bitch diva to stripped down man (literally and figuratively) is powerful stuff!

We loved the incredibly talented cast, over the top wigs and costumes, large screen special effects, and the fantastic score. The set design details were superb, even down to the Hurt Locker Playbills strategically scattered throughout the auditorium. Do note, you may be playfully molested a bit if you have front row seats! 

Brilliantly innovative, heartbreaking, and wickedly funny, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is the landmark musical by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask that is “groundbreaking and ahead of its time” (Entertainment Weekly). This gender-bending, fourth-wall-smashing musical sensation, with a pulsing score and electrifying performances, tells the story of one of the most unique characters to ever hit the stage. It’s about finding your other half; it’s the story of the origin of love.

Directed by Tony Award-winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, American Idiot) and starring Tony and Olivier Award-nominee Euan Morton, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is the winner of four 2014 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival. It played to record-breaking sell-out crowds on Broadway and promises to take Chicago by storm with what Rolling Stone proclaims is “the best rock musical ever!”

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Tuesdays at 7:30 PM

Wednesdays at 7:30 PM (additional 2 PM matinee on Mar. 15)

Thursdays at 7:30 PM 

Fridays at 7:30 PM

Saturdays at 2 PM and 8 PM 

Sundays at 2 PM (additional 7:30 PM evening performance on Mar. 12)

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH at the Oriental Theatre range from $35-$108. A select number of premium tickets are available for many performances. Group tickets for 10 or more are available by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. Tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

The Grammy nominated Original Broadway Cast Album for HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is available from Atlantic Records.

Follow HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH

on Twitter: @HedwigOnBway, Facebook and Instagram: @hedwigonbway  www.HedwigTour.com

Tony and Olivier Award-nominated Euan Morton plays the role of Hedwig, and Hannah Corneau is making her Broadway National Tour debut as Yitzhak.

Euan Morton originated the role of Boy George in the musical Taboo in London and New York, garnering Tony and Olivier Award nominations and receiving the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut.  HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH co-creator Stephen Trask gushes about why Euan is the perfect choice to fill Hedwig’s golden boots: “Euan’s Hedwig is going to be so exquisitely beautiful and achingly heartbreaking. What an emotional powerhouse. He is otherworldly.”

Morton is equally thrilled to play Hedwig: “I have been blessed in my career, but no blessing has been as exciting as the chance I've been given to take over the role of Hedwig. Joining the cast is the kind of challenge that an actor dreams of. I can't wait to slip into her golden boots and begin the transformation to cultural icon! And I'm so much better looking with sparkling eyes and a caking of LaVern Baker! All the more thrilling is that I'll have the honor of taking darling Hedwig all over the country. I'm ready for the ride of my life; I hope America is ready for her ride too.”

The members of Hedwig’s band “The Angry Inch” – aka “Tits of Clay” – will be music director Justin Craig (guitar and keyboards), Matt Duncan (bass), Tim Mislock (guitar), and Peter Yanowitz (drums), all of whom originated their roles on Broadway.

David Binder, who first produced HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH in 1997, produced the musical on Broadway with Jayne Baron Sherman, Barbara Whitman, Latitude Link, Patrick Catullo, Raise The Roof, Paula Marie Black, Colin Callender, Ruth Hendel, Sharon Karmazin, Martian Entertainment, Stacey Mindich, Eric Schnall, and The Shubert Organization. 101 Productions, Ltd were the executive producers. The record-breaking production ran for over 500 performances at the Belasco Theatre. 

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH was originally produced Off-Off-Broadway at Westbeth and then, under the direction of Peter Askin, ran over two years at the Jane Street Theatre beginning in February 1998. The musical won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical and both John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask won Obies in 2001. It won a 1998 New York Magazine Award and Entertainment Weekly’s “Soundtrack of the Year” Award. Time Magazine named HEDWIG the Top Musical of 1998.

The film of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, directed by John Cameron Mitchell, won the Audience Award and Best Director Awards at Sundance. Mitchell won the Best New Director from the National Board of Review, the Gotham Awards, and the LA Critics Society. Stage productions have played for many years in Japan and in 2008, Korea hosted a popular televised reality show about the search for a new star to play Hedwig.

The creative team for HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH features Emmy Award nominee Spencer Liff (musical staging), Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award winner Julian Crouch (scenic design), Tony Award and two-time Oscar nominee Arianne Phillips (costume design), four-time Tony Award winner Kevin Adams (lighting design), Mike Potter (hair and makeup design), Tony Award nominee and platinum-selling record producer Tim O’Heir (sound design), Benjamin Pearcy for 59 Productions (projection design), John Bair/Phosphene (animation), James Calleri (casting), Tony and Grammy Award nominee Ethan Popp (music supervisor & music coordinator), Justin Craig (music director), Stephen Gabis (dialect coach) and Johanna McKeon (associate director).

BIOGRAPHIES 

EUAN MORTON (Hedwig) originated the role of Boy George in the musical Taboo in London and New York. He was nominated for an Olivier and a Tony Award. In addition, he received a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut. Additional Broadway credits include Cyrano de Bergerac and Sondheim on Sondheim. He has numerous Off- Broadway and regional credits, including a production of Measure for Pleasure at the Public Theatre that earned him an Obie Award, and Parade at the Ford’s Theatre as Leo, for which he won a Helen Hayes Award. A favorite recent collaboration was with Tony Kushner and Maurice Sendak on the new musical Brundibar. Euan also has an active concert career. He's released two solo albums and has had the pleasure of singing in many of the best concert venues around the country. Euan feels very lucky to be on the journey. For a more detailed look at his work, check out www.euanmorton.com 

MASON ALEXANDER PARK (Hedwig Standby) is thrilled to work on his dream show with such an incredible team. Theater: Altar Boyz (Mark), The Drowsy Chaperone (Man in Chair), Rocky Horror (Frank N. Furter), Mary Poppins (first countertenor to play Miss Andrew). TV/film: “iCarly,” “Bucket and Skinner’s Epic Adventures,” (Nickelodeon) “Broadway or Bust,” “Becoming an Artist” (PBS). masonapark.com. 

SHANNON CONLEY (Yitzhak Standby). Broadway: Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Lead singer of the all-female rock band Lez Zeppelin (lezzeppelin.com). Voice of several cartoon characters on “Pokémon,” “X-Men,” Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Star Kidz network. On-camera roles include “L&O: SVU,” “A.B.E.,” “Fugue” and the “Downsized” webseries. More info and heartfelt thank yous at shannonconley.com 

MATT DUNCAN (Bass, guitar, keyboard, voacals). Matt Duncan is a singer/songwriter, producer and bass player from Lexington, Ky. Although he’s best known for his smooth, slightly skewed take on classic R&B, he got his start in the community center basements of DIY punk. 

TIM MISLOCK (Guitar, vocals). Tim Mislock made his Broadway debut in Hedwig. For the past several years, Tim has recorded and toured with indie rock bands The Antlers and Holly Miranda. This fall he will release his first solo record, Now Is the Last Best Time. He thanks his wife, family and friends for their endless support. @timmymislock 

PETER YANOWITZ (Drums, vocals). Peter Yanowitz was a founding member of both the Wallflowers (Virgin) and Morningwood (Capitol). Other artists he has recorded/performed with include Natalie Merchant, Wilco, Yoko Ono, Allen Ginsberg, Nina Nastasia, Money Mark and Ryan Jarman. With Stephen Trask, Yanowitz is currently writing music and lyrics for the upcoming Broadway musical This Ain’t No Disco! 

JUSTIN CRAIG (Guitar, keyboards, vocals) Justin Craig is a Grammy-nominated record producer, multi- instrumentalist, composer and music director based in Brooklyn, N.Y. He’s honored to be in the Angry Inch. Justincraigmusic.com. 

HANNAH CORNEAU (Yitzhak). Off-Broadway: Daddy Long Legs (Davenport Theatre); Ethel Sings (Beckett). Regional: Evita (Marriott Theatre); Fiddler on the Roof (Arena Stage); Harmony (Alliance/Ahmanson; Ovation Nomination).Chicago: Les Misérables (Paramount Theatre; Jeff Award); Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Bailiwick Chicago); A Little Night Music (Writers Theatre). Hannah is also a proud member of RANGE a cappella. Endless thanks to her amazing family. @hannahcorneau 

 

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 17 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 well 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 PrivateBank Theatre, Oriental Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.

For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

OPENING: All-Chicago Cast Brings Spamilton Laughs To Royal George

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

“SPAMILTON,” THE SMASH OFF-BROADWAY HIT OPENS THIS WEEK AT THE ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE

The All-Chicago Cast Includes Donterrio Johnson, Adam LaSalle, Michelle Lauto, Eric Andrew Lewis, Yando Lopez and David Robbins

“Spamilton,” the critically acclaimed off-Broadway parody of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s sensation, “Hamilton,” opens this week with an all-Chicago cast! It's currently in previews for the regional premiere in Chicago at the Royal George Theatre (1641 N. Halsted). Created by Tony Award honoree Gerard Alessandrini, the mastermind behind “Forbidden Broadway,” the “smart, silly and compulsively funny show” (The New York Times) features an all-Chicago ensemble including Donterrio Johnson, Adam LaSalle, Michelle Lauto, Eric Andrew Lewis, Yando Lopez and David Robbins. “Spamilton” begins performances Friday, March 3 at the Royal George Theatre’s Cabaret/Studio Theatre. The Press Opening is set for Sunday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets ($59 – $99) can be purchased at the Royal George Theatre’s box office online or by calling 312.988.9000.

“We couldn’t have been more thrilled by Chicago’s pool of incredible talent,” said Alessandrini.  “We hope ‘Spamilton’ will be as lively and hysterically funny as ‘Hamilton’ is provocative. It is a tall order, but we are going to try to make Chicago a happier town than ever and keep the audience roaring with delight.”

“Spamilton” celebrates, roasts and eviscerates the Broadway blockbuster with its versatile cast of six. In its world-premiere production off-Broadway in New York, the show has been extended three times and is now in its fifth smash month at the Triad. The New York production earned rave reviews across the board, hailed as "the next best thing to seeing ‘Hamilton’” (The New York Times), “so infectiously fun,” (The Hollywood Reporter) and had Lin-Manuel Miranda exclaiming “I laughed my brains out!”

In addition to Alessandrini, the creative team includes Gerry McIntyre (Choreography), Dustin Cross (Costume Design), Fred Barton (Musical Director), and Richard Danley and Fred Barton (Musical Arrangements). “Spamilton” is produced in Chicago by John Freedson, David Zippel, Gerard Alessandrini, Margaret Cotter and Liberty Theatricals, in association with JAM Theatricals. Chuckie Benson is the understudy for the production.

The performance schedule for “Spamilton” is as follows: Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

About the Artists of “Spamilton” 

Gerard Alessandrini (Creator) is best known for creating and writing all 25 editions of “Forbidden Broadway” in New York, Los Angeles, London and around the world. Alessandrini was featured in the original 1982 cast of “Forbidden Broadway” and can be heard on four of the 12 “Forbidden Broadway” cast albums. He also sings on the soundtracks of the Disney classics “Aladdin” and “Pocahontas.” Television credits include writing comedy specials for Bob Hope, Angela Lansbury and Carol Burnett. Directing credits include Maury Yeston’s musical “In the Beginning.” Recent musicals which he co-wrote and/or directed include “Madame X” (NYMF 2011) and “The Nutcracker and I,” featuring a complete Tchaikovsky score with all new lyrics by Alessandrini. As a director, he’s currently working on an upcoming revue focusing on the songs of Maury Yeston entitled “Anything Can Happen (In the Theater).” Alessandrini is the recipient of an Obie Award, two Lucille Lortel Awards, a Lifetime Achievement award from the Drama League, and seven Drama Desk Awards. Alessandrini was also awarded an Honorary Tony Award for Excellence in the Theatre.

Donterrio Johnson (Male Two) is an alumni of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy of Los Angeles and an Artistic Ensemble Member of Pride Films and Plays. Johnson’s theater credits include “Annie Warbucks” (Theatre at the Center); “Next To Normal” and “Urinetown” (Boho Theatre); “The Hundred Dresses” and “Mr. Chickee's Funny Money” (Chicago Children's Theatre); “Sweeney Todd” (Denver Center for the Performing Arts); “Murder Ballad” (Cardinal Stage); “Lookingglass Alice” (Lookingglass Theatre); “Jesus Christ Superstar” (Theo Ubique); “Ain’t Misbehavin” and “Golden Boy” (Porchlight Music Theatre); “The Color Purple” and “Avenue Q” (Mercury Theatre); “Rent” (Brightside Theatre); “Under a Rainbow Flag” (Pride Films and Plays); “Hairspray” (SRO Productions); and “Urinetown,” “Aladdin The Musical,” “Into The Woods” and “Kennedy The Musical” (Broadway Workshop). His TV credits include USA’s “Sirens.”

Adam LaSalle’s (Pianist/King George) Chicago musical direction and piano credits include “24 Words” (Stage 773); “Nunsense” (Beverly Arts Center); “Rebel” (Theatre Wit); and a number of revues, concerts, and cabarets at the Promontory and as a regular at Davenport's Piano Bar and Cabaret in Wicker Park. Some favorite roles he's performed include Jesus in “Godspell,” Tommy Albright in “Brigadoon” and the Pirate King in “Pirates of Penzance.” LaSalle has also accompanied and music directed with Memphis' Playhouse on the Square Musical Theatre Education Program, The Chicago Children's Choir, ChiArts, SummerSing's International Choral Festival in Cork City, Ireland and a number of musicals for the Souza Scholarship Theatre Program in Orange County, New York.

Michelle Lauto’s (Female Performer) recent credits include “In the Heights” (Porchlight Music Theatre); “Xanadu” (American Theater Company); “35mm” (Circle Theatre); “The Boy From Oz” (Pride Films and Plays); and “Murder Ballad” (Bailiwick Chicago). Lauto is a proud graduate of The Second City Training Center Conservatory.

Eric A. Lewis (Male Three) was last seen in Theatre at the Center's production of "My Way: A Tribute to Frank Sinatra." His Chicago credits include “The Little Mermaid,” “In the Heights” and “Tommy” (Paramount Theatre); “Dreamgirls” (Porchlight Music Theatre); “Once Upon a People” (Black Ensemble Theater); “Parade” (BoHo Theatre); “How to Succeed in Business,” “Sister Act” and “Suessical the Musical” (Marriott Theatre); and “Dreamgirls” (Milwaukee Repertory Theater).

Yando Lopez (Male One) was last seen in “The Christians” at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Recent credits include “In the Heights” and “Sondheim on Sondheim” (Porchlight Music Theatre); “Little Shop of Horrors” (American Blues Theatre); “In the Heights” (Paramount Theatre); and “Barney the Elf” (Other Theatre Company). Lopez has also worked with Court Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Emerald City, Brown Paper Box, Black Ensemble Theatre and Goodman Theatre. Lopez is a proud Northwestern alum.

David Robbins (Male Four) is a Chicago native, an alumni of The Chicago Academy for the Arts and attended Baldwin Wallace University. Robbins’ regional credits include “Memphis,” “Rent,” “Once on this Island,” “Avenue Q” and “Phantom of the Opera.”

For more information, visit Spamilton.com.

SAVE THE DATES: 62nd Joffrey Ballet Season Announced For 2017-18

The Joffrey Ballet Announces 2017-18 Season

62^nd Season Highlights include:

World premiere by Joffrey Ballet Master  Nicolas Blanc;

North American Premiere of Alexander Ekman’s Midsummer Night’s Dream;

Chicago Premieres by George Balanchine, Lola de Ávila and Jerome Robbins;

plus work by Myles Thatcher

Ashley Wheater, Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, proudly announces an impressive 2017-18 season including a world premiere by Joffrey Ballet Master Nicolas Blanc, the North American Premiere of Midsummer Night’s Dream by acclaimed chorographer Alexander Ekman plus Chicago Premieres by George Balanchine, Lola de Ávila and Jerome Robbins. The Joffrey Ballet kicks off its 62^nd season with Lola de Ávila’s Giselle, October 18-29, followed by the return of Tony Award®-winner Christopher Wheeldon’s newly reimagined The Nutcracker, December 1-30. For its winter engagement, The Joffrey Ballet presents Modern Masters, a mixed repertoire program with four works – a World Premiere by Nicolas Blanc (untitled), the Chicago Premieres of Kammermusik No. 2 by George Balanchine and Glass Pieces by Jerome Robbins in honor of the 100^th anniversary of his birth plus Body of Your Dreams by Myles Thatcher, February 7-18. The Joffrey Ballet will conclude its season with Ekman’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, April 25-May 6.

All performances take place in the Joffrey’s home venue, the historic Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, in downtown Chicago at 50 East Congress Parkway. All programs throughout the season feature live music performed by the Chicago Philharmonic conducted by Scott Speck, Music Director of The Joffrey Ballet.

This season, for the first time, The Joffrey Ballet and Lyric Opera of Chicago will collaborate on a world premiere production of Christoph Willibald Gluck’s classic opera, Orphée et Eurydice directed and choregraphed by internationally acclaimed Director and Chief Choreographer of The Hamburg Ballet, John Neumeier. Orphée et Eurydice will be presented at Lyric’s Civic Opera House, September 23 - October 15.

Classically trained to the highest standards, The Joffrey Ballet expresses a unique, inclusive perspective on dance, proudly embracing the diversity of America with its company, audiences, and repertoire which includes major story ballets, reconstructions of masterpieces and contemporary works. Founded by visionary teacher Robert Joffrey in 1956, guided by celebrated choreographer Gerald Arpino from 1988 until 2007, The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under Artistic Director Ashley Wheater and Executive Director Greg Cameron.  

“During my time as Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, we’ve worked tirelessly to redefine ballet at the highest level,” said Ashley Wheater. “This season, we elevate this commitment with dynamic performances that celebrate joy in a time when transformative storytelling has never been more needed. We present sweeping passion in modern renditions of Giselle and Midsummer Night’s Dream; we see hope and wonder through the eyes of Chicago immigrants with the return of Christopher Wheeldon’s reimagined Nutcracker; and finally, we feel inspiration with works by modern trailblazers and legendary voices including Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, Alexander Ekman, and Myles Thatcher.”

“Ashley Wheater’s commitment to world-class artistry and transformative experiences has ignited hope and wonder in Chicago audiences, and this season is no exception,” added Executive Director Greg Cameron. “From the youthful passion of Giselle and magical wonder of The Nutcracker to boundary- pushing masterpieces from rising talent and legendary voices, these unforgettable stories beautifully express our human condition and provide a beacon of hope and inspiration. We look forward to sharing these remarkable and moving ballet experiences with Chicago audiences in the year to come.”

About the 2017-18 Season

October 2017

The Joffrey Ballet launches its 2017-18 season with the Chicago Premiere of Lola de Ávila’s visionary adaption of Giselle. Former Associate Director of the San Francisco Ballet School, de Ávila’s take on this classic Romantic-era ballet is set to composer Adolphe Adam’s original score and tells the tale of young Giselle, who discovers her lover is betrothed to another and dies of grief, only to be enlisted by the vengeful Wilis, a ghostly army of maidens who haunt the forests, dancing to death any male mortal who crosses their path. When her beloved wanders into their grasp, Giselle makes the ultimate act of love to free him from his fate.

A ballet in two acts, Giselle is presented in 10 performances only, October 18-29, 2017.

December 2017

After its wildly successful world premiere in December 2016, The Joffrey Ballet will once again present its newly reimagined holiday classic The Nutcracker by Tony Award®-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. Set during Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair, Wheeldon’s turn-of-the-century tale opens as young Marie and her mother, a sculptress creating the Fair’s iconic Statue of the Republic, host a festive Christmas Eve celebration. After a surprise visit from the creator of the Chicago Columbian Exposition, the mysterious Great Impresario, Marie embarks on a whirlwind adventure with the Nutcracker Prince through a dreamlike World’s Fair. A ballet in two acts set to Tchaikovsky’s classic score, The Nutcracker also features design by an award-winning creative team including Tony Award®-nominated set and costume designer Julian Crouch, Caldecott Medal Award-winning author Brian Selznick, Obie and Drama Desk award-winning puppeteer Basil Twist, Tony Award®-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz and Tony Award®-winning projection designer Ben Pearcy.  

The Nutcracker is presented in 32 performances, December 1-30, 2017.

February 2018

The Joffrey’s winter program, a mixed repertory program entitled Modern Masters, features a world premiere by Joffrey Ballet Master Nicolas Blanc, the Chicago Premieres of Kammermusik No. 2 by George Balanchine and in honor of the 100^th anniversary of his birth, Glass Pieces by Jerome Robbins plus Body of Your Dreams by Myles Thatcher.

Kammermusik No.2, originally created for New York City Ballet in 1978 by world renowned contemporary ballet choreographer George Balanchine, broke the conventions of ballet with its exceptional use of complex structures, precision, energy and speed. Set to a score by neoclassical composer Paul Hindemith, hailed as one of the great German composers of the 20^th century, this work for 12 dancers features an eight-man ensemble performing jagged lines and stylized gestures along with two couples, who present the counterpoint to the ensemble with duets set to the intricate passages for piano.

Body of Your Dreams, created by up-and-coming choreographer Myles Thatcher, is a tongue-in-cheek take on fitness which made its world premiere as part of the 2014–2015 Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. A contemporary work for nine dancers, Body of Your Dreams features a series of movements expressing the highs and lows of body image woven together with inventive wit, set to a score by Dutch avant pop composer Jacob ter Veldhuis. A current dancer with San Francisco Ballet, Thatcher is known for melding contemporary sensibility with classical technique to resonate feeling and atmosphere. Thatcher made his Joffrey Ballet choreographic debut with the World Premiere of Passengers in September 2015.

Nicolas Blanc, current Ballet Master and Principal Coach for The Joffrey Ballet, will create a new work (untitled) for the company which will take audiences through five mesmerizing worlds set to an orchestral and electronic soundscape by Mason Bates, composer-in-residence at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Former Principal Dancer with San Francisco Ballet, Blanc made his choreographic debut with the Joffrey in April 2015 with the U.S. Premiere of Evenfall. Most recently, Blanc was selected to participate in the 2015 National Choreographers Initiative as well as the New York City Ballet's New York Choreographic Institute where he created Mothership, which premiered in New York City Ballet's 2016 gala.

In honor of the 100^th anniversary of Jerome Robbins’ birth, the Joffrey will present the Chicago Premiere of Glass Pieces, a signature Robbins’ ballet set to three works by American minimalist composer Philip Glass. Originally premiering with New York City Ballet in 1983, Glass Pieces is a tour de force of movement and music for 42 dancers featuring urban, postmodern choreography, recurrent rhythms, shifting patterns and an energized pace to reflect the pulse of metropolitan America in the ‘80s. One of the great American choreographers of the 20^th century, Robbins prolific career has made a profound contribution to the ballet world in addition to renown commercial credits as a director and choreographer for theater, movies and television including On the Town, West Side Story, The King and I, Gypsy, Peter Pan, and Fiddler on the Roof. Even after his death in 1998, his superb body of work continues to be celebrated and performed by companies worldwide. In its 62-year history, The Joffrey Ballet has presented numerous works by Jerome Robbins, including The Concert, Interplay, Moves and N.Y. Export: Op. Jazz.

Modern Masters is presented in 10 performances only, February 7–18, 2018.

April/May 2018

Celebrated around the globe for his originality and humor, Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman brings his unique vision to the Joffrey with the North American Premiere of his Midsummer Night’s Dream, which made its world premiere with The Royal Swedish Ballet in 2015. A full-length ballet vastly different from Shakespeare’s tale, Ekman’s take on a Midsummer Night’s Dream presents a festive Scandinavian Midsummer celebration, as the border between the world of mortals and the kingdom of the supernatural becomes thinner, turning the celebration into a dreamlike fantasy. Ekman has collaborated with companies worldwide to create award-winning works that both entertain and challenge the observer, including the Chicago Premieres of Ekman’s Tulle in 2015 along with his wild and rhythmic Episode 31 which premiered on the Joffrey during the 2013 Chicago Dancing Festival. Ekman will also present the world premiere of a new work (untitled) during The Joffrey Ballet’s spring program Global Visionaries in April 2017.

Midsummer Night’s Dream is presented in 10 performances only, April 25-May 6, 2018.

Joffrey Gala Performance — April 20, 2018

For the third year in a row, The Joffrey Ballet will open its special, one-hour gala performance exclusively to Joffrey subscribers and gala donors. 

Lyric Collaboration — September 23 – October 15, 2017

This season, The Joffrey Ballet and Lyric Opera of Chicago will collaborate on a world premiere production of Christoph Willibald Gluck’s classic opera Orphée et Eurydice. Based on the Greek myth of Orpheus, Orphée et Eurydice features a modern-day Orpheus, a poet whose every word communicates an overwhelming love for his late wife, Eurydice. After refusing to accept her death, he courageously journeys to the Underworld to bring her back to life but first must face Love’s challenge. Lyric Opera will present Orphée in the Paris version, containing thrilling ballet sequences that will come to life under the direction and choreography of internationally acclaimed Director and Chief Choreographer of The Hamburg Ballet, John Neumeier. Most recently, Neumeier worked with the Joffrey, upon whom he set the North American premiere of his full-length story ballet Sylvia in October 2015. Orphée et Eurydice will be presented in seven performances at Lyric’s Civic Opera House, September 23 - October 15.

Tickets and Subscriptions

Three-program subscriptions, which do not include The Nutcracker or Orphée et Eurydice, start at $87. Subscriptions will be available for purchase as of February 22, 2017, online, by mail (Joffrey Ballet Subscriptions, The Joffrey Ballet, Joffrey Tower, 10 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601), by telephone at 312-386-8905, by fax at 312-739-0119, or by email at subscriptions@joffrey.org. 

Single tickets for the October, February and April performances as well as The Nutcracker will be available starting August 1, 2017. Single tickets are available at The Joffrey Ballet’s official Box Office located in the lobby of 10 East Randolph Street, by telephone at 312-386-8905, or online.

Orphée et Eurydice will be presented by The Lyric Opera of Chicago at the Civic Opera House (20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago). Joffrey Ballet subscribers will receive an exclusive pre-sale opportunity with a 20% discount. Tickets can be purchased through Lyric Opera audience services at 312-827-5600.

About The Joffrey Ballet

Classically trained to the highest standards, The Joffrey Ballet expresses a unique, inclusive perspective on dance, proudly reflecting the diversity of America with its company, audiences, and repertoire which includes major story ballets, reconstructions of masterpieces, and contemporary works.

The Company’s commitment to accessibility is met through an extensive touring schedule, an innovative and highly effective education program including the much lauded Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, Community Engagement programs, and collaborations with myriad other visual and performing arts organizations.

Founded by visionary teacher Robert Joffrey in 1956, guided by celebrated choreographer Gerald Arpino from 1988 until 2007, The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under internationally renowned Artistic Director Ashley Wheater and Executive Director Greg Cameron.

The Joffrey Ballet is grateful for the support of 2017-2018 Season Sponsors: Abbott Fund, Alphawood Foundation Chicago, NIB Foundation, and the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation, Live Music Sponsor The Marina and Arnold Tatar Fund for Live Music, and 2017-2018 Season Partners: pamella roland and Fox Ford Lincoln, Clear Channel Airports, Chicago Athletic Clubs, JW Marriott, and Official Provider of Physical Therapy, Athletico.

For more information on The Joffrey Ballet and its programs, click HERE.

3 Nights Only, See The Inimitable Jackie Taylor at Black Ensemble Theatre In From Jackie With Love 3/6th-8th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

JACKIE TAYLOR TO STAR IN

A THREE NIGHT ENGAGEMENT OF

FROM JACKIE WITH LOVE 

(WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW)

AT BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER 

March 6-8, 2017 at 7:30pm

 Black Ensemble Theater Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor will star in her one-woman show From Jackie With Love (What The World Needs Now) at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago, March 6-8, 2017 at 7:30pm.  

You may know Jackie Taylor as the Founder and Executive Director of the Black Ensemble Theater, but have you ever experienced her as a performer on stage? Ms. Taylor will sing, dance and share her celebrated acting talents through monologues from her own works and the works of August Wilson, Lorraine Hansberry, Pearl Cleage and Tennessee Williams. The story will be laced with Jackie’s own personal song compositions as we experience her perspectives on her life, from growing up in Cabrini Green to embracing a dysfunctional family to her own the successes and failures.   

Black Ensemble Theater will host a VIP night of From Jackie With Love (What The World Needs Now) on Wednesday, March 8, 2017, as a fundraiser to ensure the company’s future as the preeminent African-American theater company in the country.  The evening will begin at 6:30pm with a pre-show reception with appetizers, champagne and wine, followed by the performance at 7:30pm.

Regular tickets for all three performances are $65.  The VIP Event on March 8 is $150 which includes the private reception and performance.  Tickets are available at the Black Ensemble Box Office located at 4450 N. Clark St in Chicago, online HERE, or by phone at (773) 769-4451. 

The Black Ensemble Theater 

Founded in 1976, by the phenomenal producer, playwright and actress Jackie Taylor, Black Ensemble Theater is the only African American theater located in the culturally, racially and ethnically diverse north side Uptown community. Through its Five Play Season of Excellence, The Black Ensemble Theater dazzles audiences locally, nationally and internationally with outstanding original musicals that are entertaining, educational and uplifting. The Black Ensemble Theater has produced more than 100 productions and employed over 5,000 artists.

On November 18, 2011, The Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center opened and is able to accommodate larger-scale productions, bigger audiences and a wider range of educational programming. The new facility includes amenities such as a 299-seat main stage theater (double the capacity of the original venue); 14 offices, classroom space, rehearsal hall, dance studio, scene shop, costume shop, and wardrobe rooms; seven dressing rooms; rehearsal room for musicians; front lobby space with concession areas; and an indoor parking garage.  The completion of a 150-seat theater, which will serve as an experimental stage for the work of the Black Playwright Initiative (BPI), with construction by General Contractor Norcon Inc., is expected in 2017. 

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater Company is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects upon society through the theater arts.  For more information on the Black Ensemble Theater Company, please visit www.BlackEnsembleTheater.org or call 773-769-4451.