OPENING: CHICAGO PREMIERE OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S LOVE NEVER DIES, SEQUEL TO THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AT CADILLAC PALACE THEATRE 2/14-3/4/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S LOVE NEVER DIES MAKES ITS CHICAGO PREMIERE

THE SPELLBINDING SEQUEL TO THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

CADILLAC PALACE THEATRE

FEB. 14th  through MAR. 4, 2018

Here at ChiIL Mama & ChiIL Live Shows, we've reviewed Broadway touring productions of Phantom of the Opera many times over the years. Yet the sequel is coming to Chicago for the first time ever. Catch this 3 week limited engagement at the iconic, opulent Cadillac Palace

Broadway In Chicago and Andrew Lloyd Webber's LOVE NEVER DIES are delighted to announce that LOVE NEVER DIES will play Chicago for the very first time in a limited three-week engagement at Broadway In Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph) February 14 through March 4, 2018.



Broadway In Chicago and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s LOVE NEVER DIES are delighted to announce the spellbinding sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, will play Chicago for the very first time in a limited three-week engagement at Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph) February 14 through March 4, 2018.



Direct from the highly successful production of LOVE NEVER DIES in Hamburg, Germany, Gardar Thor Cortes will portray the man behind the mask, ‘The Phantom,’ with Meghan Picerno as ‘Christine Daaé,’ Karen Mason as ‘Madame Giry,’ Sean Thompson as ‘Raoul,’ Mary Michael Patterson as ‘Meg Giry,’ and Casey Lyons and Jake Heston Miller sharing the role of ‘Gustave.’ The trio of Phantom’s henchmen include Katrina Kemp as ‘Fleck,’ Richard Koons as ‘Squelch,’ Stephen Petrovich as ‘Gangle,’ Gardar Thor Cortes is appearing with the permission of Actors' Equity Association. The Producers gratefully acknowledge Actors' Equity Association for its assistance of this production.

The ensemble includes Chelsey Arce, Erin Chupinsky, Diana DiMarzio, Tyler Donahue, Yesy Garcia, Alyssa Giannetti, Michael Gillis, Tamar Greene, Natalia Lepore Hagan, Lauren Lukacek, Alyssa McAnany, Rachel Anne Moore, Bronson Norris Murphy, Dave Schoonover, Adam Soniak, John Swapshire IV, Kelly Swint, Lucas John Thompson, Correy West and Arthur Wise.


   
LOVE NEVER DIES is a dazzling new production, which takes audiences on a thrilling rollercoaster ride of intrigue, obsession and romance. Audiences will be seduced by the beautiful; sometimes magical and poetic; sometimes joyful; and occasionally melancholic score. Don’t miss this magnificent continuation of one of the world’s greatest love stories. The new touring production reflects an extensive re-working of the material by an Australian creative team for the original Australian premiere in 2011. Described by Chris Boyd in The Australian as “The best thing Lloyd Webber has written in the quarter century since The Phantom of the Opera”.

Directed by Simon Phillips (Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical) with new set and costume designs by Gabriela Tylesova, choreography by 2011 Astaire Awards winner Graeme Murphy, lighting design by Nick Schlieper and sound design by Mick Potter, the show is one of the few instances of a major West End musical being given a complete makeover for subsequent productions.
Lloyd Webber said he knew about five minutes into seeing its first run-through that he and the new production team had achieved something special. “I have the great joy of being able to say that I think this production is probably the finest one I could ever, ever hope for.”

LOVE NEVER DIES features music by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton, additional lyrics by Charles Hart, and orchestrations by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The year is 1907. It is 10 years after his disappearance from the Paris Opera House and The Phantom has escaped to a new life in New York where he lives amongst the screaming joy rides and freak shows of Coney Island. In this new, electrically charged world, he has finally found a place for his music to soar, but he has never stopped yearning for his one true love and musical protégée, Christine Daaé.



Now one of the world’s finest sopranos, Christine accepts an invitation to travel from Paris to New York to perform at a renowned opera house. Christine's marriage to Raoul is suffering at the hands of his drinking and gambling and they desperately need the financial rewards that America can give them.

In a final bid to win back Christine’s love, The Phantom lures her, Raoul, and their young son Gustave, from Manhattan to the glittering and glorious world of Coney Island - not knowing what is in store for them.

Since its premiere in 2010, LOVE NEVER DIES has enjoyed productions worldwide in London, Australia, Denmark, Japan and Germany, as well as multiple recordings including a concept album and a London cast recording. A DVD release of the Australian production has delighted fans globally, and now the North American tour brings the musical to the US for the first time.
For more information, please visit www.loveneverdies.com.



PERFORMANCE DATES
Tuesdays at 7:30PM
Wednesdays at 2:00PM & 7:30PM
Thursdays at 7:30PM
Fridays at 7:30PM
Saturdays at 2:00PM & 8:00PM
Sundays at 2:00PM
*No matinee on Wed., Feb.14
*Additional matinee on Thurs., Feb. 15 & evening performance on Sun., Feb. 18



TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets for LOVE NEVER DIES at the Cadillac Palace Theatre will go on sale Friday, Dec. 8 and range from $35-$100 with a select number of premium seats available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more 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 and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.  



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 Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, Oriental 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: National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere of Surely Goodness and Mercy Via Redtwist Theatre Through 3/18/18

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Redtwist Theatre presents

the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere**

Surely Goodness and Mercy

by Chisa Hutchinson

Directed by Wardell Julius Clark

Runs Thu, Fri, Sat at 7:30pm; Sun at 3pm, through Sun, March 18

**SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY is produced at REDTWIST THEATRE as a part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Other partnering theaters are SALT LAKE ACTING COMPANY (SALT LAKE CITY, UT) and WRITERS THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY (MADISON, NJ). For more information, please visit www.nnpn.org

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we're eager to check out new works, and we'll be out to see this one February 18th. Check back soon for my full review.

THE PLAY 
A powerful new drama with incredible heart and humor. Tino is a Newark schoolboy sent to live with an abusive aunt after his mother dies protecting him in a street fight. Seeking solace, Tino befriends the cantankerous lunch lady at school who has been diagnosed with MS. The moving, heartwarming climax shows these two unlikely friends helping each other navigate a harsh world. 

THE CAST (in alphabetical order) 
Cast: Renee Lockett (Bernadette), Katrina D. RiChard (Alneesa), Donovan Session (Tino), Charlita "Charli" Williams (Deja)
Voiceover: Brianna Buckley (Teacher), Wardell Julius Clark (Minister), Julia Skeggs (Principal)
Understudies: Nicholia Aguirre (Bernadette), Nic Bell (Tino), Sophie Hoyt (Deja),  Jessica Vann (Alneesa)

THE STAFF 
Wardell Julius Clark (Director), Brianna Buckley (Assistant Director), Brennan T. Jones (Stage Manager), Josy Gonzalo (Assistant Stage Manager), Buzz Leer (Tech Director), Lauren Nichols (Set Designer), Daniel Friedman (Lighting Designer), Grover Hollway (Sound Designer), Kotryna Hilko (Costume Designer), Dana Macel (Props Designer), Natalie Santoro (Scenic Charge), Almanya Narula (Fight Designer), Jan Ellen Graves (Graphic Designer/Marketing), Charlie Hano (Casting Director), Noelle Simone (Dramaturge), E. Malcolm Martinez (Box Office Manager), Charles Bonilla & Johnny Garcia (Box Office Associates), James Fleming & Michael Colucci (Producers)

THE SCHEDULE 
Opens: Sat, February 17, 3pm (note: there is no evening performance on opening day)
Showtimes: Thu, Fri, Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 3pm
Understudy Performance: $20, (seniors & students $5 off), Tue, Mar 13, 7:30pm
Closes: Sun, March 18
Previews: $15; Wed, Thu, Fri, Feb 14, 15, 16, at 7:30pm
Tickets: Thursdays, $35; Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, $40 (seniors & students $5 off)
        
RESERVATIONS 
Tickets: www.redtwist.org
 Call: 773-728-7529 

A NOTE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 
This play is highly relevant given our polarized political climate which shows a disturbing resurgence of marginalizing certain groups of people. We're especially grateful to Chisa for writing such a beautifully heartwarming story and we look forward to having her with us during the process of producing this brand new play. Also, Redtwist is thrilled to welcome an entire team of exciting guest artists to collaborate on the project of this NNPN Rolling World Premiere.

ABOUT THE PLAY, SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY
In an under-funded public school in Newark, New Jersey, a motherless, bible-toting boy with a photographic memory and a tender heart befriends the cantankerous woman who works in the cafeteria. Against all odds, they help each other through the bullshit of growing up and growing old. --Chisa Hutchinson

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT, CHISA HUTCHINSON
Chisa Hutchinson's socially probing plays, which include SHE LIKE GIRLS, SEX ON SUNDAY, THE SUBJECT, DEAD & BREATHING, and SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTER among others, have been presented by such venues as Second Stage Theater, City Parks' Summerstage, the Lark, the National Black Theater, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and Atlantic Theater Company. She's won a GLAAD Award, the John Golden Award for Excellence in Playwriting, a Lilly Award, a New York Innovative Theatre Award, the Paul Green Award, a Helen Merrill Award, the Lanford Wilson Award, and has been a finalist for the highly coveted PoNY Fellowship. She's also been a Lark Fellow, a Dramatists Guild Fellow, a resident at the William Inge Center for the Arts, a New York NeoFuturist, a staff writer for the Blue Man Group, a Humanitas Fellow, and most recently, Resident Playwright at Second Stage Theater. In addition to venturing into screenwriting, Chisa is currently a proud fourth-year year member of New Dramatists and a Creative Writing Professor at the University of Delaware. (B.A. Vassar College; M.F.A NYU - Tisch School of the Arts.) chisahutchinson.com

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR, WARDELL JULIUS CLARK
Wardell Julius Clark hails from Fairfield, Alabama. Chicago Acting Credits include SILENT SKY (First Folio Theatre); APARTMENT 3A (Windy City Playhouse); GEM OF THE OCEAN (Court Theatre); A RAISIN IN THE SUN (TimeLine Theatre); THE WHIPPING MAN (Northlight Theatre); WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT... and THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAMES (Victory Gardens Theatre); INVISIBLE MAN (Court Theatre); THE BEATS (16th Street Theater); GHOSTS OF ATWOOD (MPAACT), for which he received the Black Theater Alliance Denzel Washington Award for Most Promising Actor; and TOPDOG/UNDERDOG (American Theater Company/Congo Square Theater). Regional credits include THE WHIPPING MAN (Cardinal Stage); CYMBELINE (Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival); FENCES (Carver Theatre). Chicago Directing Credits include The One Minute Play Festival, SHOLA'S GAME (Black Lives, Black Words Chicago 2), Assistant Director for SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF and GEM OF THE OCEAN (Court Theatre). TV/Film: Chicago Fire Seasons 1 and 4, Transformers: Dark the Moon. Wardell is an Associate Artist with TimeLine Theatre Company, where he also serves as a Teaching Artist in the Living History Program, he is also an Associate Artist with the Black Lives, Black Words theatre collective. He holds a BFA in Acting from The Theatre School, at DePaul University.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL NEW PLAY NETWORK
National New Play Network (NNPN) is the country's alliance of non-profit professional theaters dedicated to the development, production, and continued life of new plays. Since its founding in 1998, NNPN has supported more than 250 productions nationwide through its innovative National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere program, which provides playwright and production support for new works at its Member theaters. Additional programs--its annual National Conference, National Showcase of New Plays, and MFA Playwrights Workshop; the NNPN Annual and Smith Prize commissions; its residencies for playwrights, producers and directors; and the organization's member accessed Collaboration, Festival, and Travel banks and online information sessions--have helped cement the Network's position as a vital force in the new play landscape. NNPN also strives to pioneer, implement, and disseminate ideas and programs that revolutionize the way theaters collaborate to support new plays and playwrights. Its most recent project, the New Play Exchange, is changing the way playwrights share their work and others discover it by providing immediate access to information on more than 16,250 new plays by living writers. NNPN's 30 Core and 75 Associate Members--along with the more than 250 affiliated artists who are its alumni, the thousands of artists and artisans employed annually by its member theaters, and the hundreds of thousands of audience members who see its supported works each year--are creating the new American theater. nnpn.org | newplayexchange.org 

Redtwist is located at 1044 W Bryn Mawr, 2 blks W of LSD, 2 blks E of the Red Line EL station. 

Valet parking for Redtwist is available across the street in front of Francesca's Bryn Mawr for most performances-hours vary. Dining is not required. 

Limited FREE street parking is available on side streets. There is metered street parking via ParkChicago.com app or 3-hour Paybox on Bryn Mawr Av and 2-hour Paybox on side streets. Free on Sundays, and after 10pm Mon thru Sat. 

OPENING: BREACH: a manifesto on race in america through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate at Victory Gardens Theater Through March 11th, 2018

ChiIL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Victory Gardens Theater Presents

BREACH: a manifesto on race in america through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate

By Antoinette Nwandu

Directed by Lisa Portes

February 9 – March 11, 2018

Running Time: 2:10, including a 15-minute intermission.

Victory Gardens Theater continues its 43rd season with BREACH: a manifesto on race in america through the eyes of a black girl recovering from self-hate, written by Antoinette Nwandu and directed by Lisa Portes. BREACH runs February 9 – March 11, 2018. 

I'll be out for the press performance on Friday, February 16th, so check back soon for my full review. 

In Antoinette Nwandu’s “love letter to black women,” Margaret uproots her life, including her dead-end job and fizzling relationship, after finding out that she is unexpectedly expecting. She finds support and humor from her sassy and sharp Aunt Sylvia and her new friendship with Carolina, a pregnant cleaning lady at her office. BREACH is a smart comedy about friendship, motherhood, and family, and tackles the mother of all challenges: learning to love yourself.

Schedule: 
Previews: February 9 – 15, 2018
Regular run: February 17 – March 11, 2018

Tuesdays - Fridays:  7:30pm 


Saturdays: 3:00pm; 7:30pm
Sundays: 3:00pm

Accessible Performances:
Word for Word (open captioning): Friday, February 23 at 7:30pm, Saturday, February 24 at 3:00pm, and Wednesday, February 28 at 2:00pm

ASL Interpreted: Friday, February 23 at 7:30pm

Audio Description/Touch Tour: Friday, February 23 at 7:30pm (Touch tour at 6:00pm), Sunday, March 4 at 3:00pm (Touch tour at 1:30pm)

Location: 
Victory Gardens Theater is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, 
in the heart of Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood

Tickets:


Previews: $15 - $45 
Regular run: $15 - $60

Box Office: The Box Office is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago.
773.871.3000; www.victorygardens.org.

BREACH features Caren Blackmore (Margaret), Linda Bright Clay (Aunt Sylvia), Karen Rodriguez (Carolina), Al’Jaleel McGhee (Rasheed) and Keith D. Gallagher (Nate).

The creative team includes Linda Buchanan (scenic design), Samantha C. Jones (costume design), Heather Gilbert (lighting design), Thomas Dixon (sound design), Alec Long (properties). The dramaturg is Skyler Gray and the stage manager is Tina M. Jach.

"Antoinette Nwandu is one of the most exciting and imaginative voices in our field." said Artistic Director Chay Yew. "When I read BREACH, I knew our Chicago audiences needed to experience this gifted author who deftly fuses immediate contemporary social issues into a powerful, deeply personal play."

About the Artists
Antoinette Nwandu (Playwright) is a New York-based playwright. In June 2017, Steppenwolf presented the World Premiere of her Jeff Award-winning play Pass Over, a mashup of Waiting for Godot and the biblical Exodus story in a modern urban setting. Antoinette is currently under commission from Echo Theater Company, Colt Coeur, and Audible; her plays have been supported by MacDowell, the Sundance Theater Lab, IGNITION Fest, the Cherry Lane Mentor Project (mentor: Katori Hall), the Kennedy Center, Page73, Ars Nova, PlayPenn, Space on Ryder Farm, Southern Rep, The Flea, Naked Angels, Fire This Time, and The Movement Theater Company. Honors include spots on the 2016 and 2017 Kilroys lists, the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, the Negro Ensemble Company’s Douglas Turner Ward Prize, and a Literary Fellowship at the Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference. Antoinette is an alum of the Ars Nova Play Group, the Naked Angels Issues PlayLab, and the Dramatists Guild Fellowship.  Education: Harvard, The University of Edinburgh, Tisch School of the Arts.

Lisa Portes (Director) returns to Victory Gardens where she directed Slingshot by Kia Korthron, A Little Bit Not Normal by Arlene Malinowski, and Undone by Andrea Thome for IGNITION. Other Chicago credits include: Steppenwolf: This is Modern Art by Idris Goodwin and Kevin Coval, Goodman: Ghostwritten by Naomi Iizuka; Northlight: Permanent Collection by Thomas Gibbons; Timeline: Concerning Strange Devices from the Distant West by Naomi Iizuka; Next Theatre: In the Blood by Suzan-Lori Parks and Far Away by Caryl Churchill. Recent regional credits: Disgraced (Cincinnati Playhouse), Glass Menagerie (CalShakes). NYC credits: Wilder (Playwrights Horizons). Upcoming: Native Gardens (Denver Center). Awards: 2016 SDC Zelda Fichandler Directors Award. Lisa heads the MFA Directing program at The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Caren Blackmore (Margaret) makes her Victory Gardens debut. Chicago Credits; Beyond Caring (Lookingglass Theatre), Electra and Jitney! (Court Theatre), The MLK Project: The Fight For Civil Rights (Writers Theatre), SPILL (TimeLine Theatre) and The Joe Tex Story (Black Ensemble Theater). Also has worked with; Pegasus Players, Stockyards Theatre Project, Theatre Wit, Loop Players, Congo Square Theatre Company, ETA Creative Arts and MPAACT. Attended Freedom Theatre of Philadelphia and is a graduate of Oberlin College and the Eugene O'Neill National Theatre Institute.

Linda Bright Clay (Aunt Sylvia) is a native Chicagoan, member of Actors’ Equity and SAG-AFTRA, and has been a professional actor for over 30 years. Her theatre credits include A Wonder in My Soul, The House That Will Not Stand (Victory Gardens); the BTAA and Jeff Award winning production of The Project(S) at the American Theatre Co, also reprising her roles this year in The Project(S) with American Theatre Co.’s American Mosaic education program, and touring with the production; For My brothers…(Writers Theatre Commissioned work); Having Our Say and Permanent Collection at Madison Rep; Home (BTAA Best Actress Award), Having Our Say, Top Hat all at Chicago Theatre Co; Joe Turner’s Come And Gone at the Goodman, Dame Lorraine at Victory Gardens; The Gold Shop, Crossing Against the Red Light at Chicago Cultural Center’s “People’s Choice Award,” Ain’t Supposed To Die A Natural Death, Checkmates at eta. Linda’s film and TV work include Nothing Like Thanksgiving, Halfway garnering critical acclaim in festivals, and Seven Psychopaths. Her short films include, 3:04 am, Flickering Blue, Just Married, and The Night Before The Morning After. Linda also recently appeared in the television series, "Empire."

Karen Rodriguez (Carolina) makes her Victory Gardens debut. Chicago credits include: The Rembrandt (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), The Way She Spoke (Greenhouse Theater Center), Hookman (Steep Theatre), good friday (Oracle), Blue Skies Process (Goodman Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Teatro Vista). Film & TV: "Chicago Justice."

Al’Jaleel McGhee (Rasheed) makes his Victory Gardens debut. Recent theatre credits include: Paradise Blue (Timeline), Blues for an Alabama Sky (

Keith D. Gallagher (Nate) makes his Victory Gardens debut. Chicago credits include: Beyond Caring (Lookingglass Theatre Company); Mary Page Marlowe, Marie Antoinette (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); The Gospel of Franklin, Man in Love (Steppenwolf First Look); Awake and Sing, The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Northlight Theatre Company); Shining City (Goodman Theatre); Tracks (TUTA Chicago); Arcadia (Court Theatre); The Real Thing (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company). Regional: Macbeth (Denver Center for the Performing Arts), A Raisin in the Sun (Geva Theatre Center), The Gospel According to James (Indiana Repertory Theatre), The Lieutenant of Inishmore (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), Shining City (Huntington Theatre Company). T.V.: "Empire," "Chicago Fire," "Chicago P.D.," "Detroit 187."

Full Performance Schedule
Previews for BREACH are February 9 – 15, 2018. Previews are $15-$45. The Press opening is Friday, February 16 at 7:30pm. Regular performances run February 17 – March 11, 2018: Tuesday — Friday at 7:30pm; Saturday at 3pm and 7:30pm; Sunday at 3pm.  Regular performances are $15-$56.

Victory Gardens has partnered with mobile theater ticketing app TodayTix to offer free tickets for the first preview of BREACH. Free Tickets will be available via TodayTix mobile lottery, launching one week before the first preview on Friday, February 2, 2018. Winners will be notified by email and push notification between 12:00pm and 3:00pm on the day of the first preview, Friday, February 9, 2018. To enter, download the TodayTix app on your iOS or Android device.

Performances are at the Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N Lincoln Avenue, in the heart of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens Box Office, 773.871.3000, email tickets@victorygardens.org, or visit www.victorygardens.org. Ask the Box Office about student tickets ($15), senior, and Access. For group discounts, call 872.817.9087.

Public Programs
Public Programs is an event series designed to enhance your experience by exploring themes and issues within Victory Gardens’ productions. Connecting our theater to the world beyond the stage and rehearsal room, Public Programs bridge ideas, provoke dialogue, and deepen the relationship between our audiences and our productions. Public Programs are composed of three distinct tracks:

SALON: A post-show performance series bringing local artists, students, and/or organizations into the conversation of the play through their own work. 

PANEL: A post-show conversation with community leaders, playwrights, activists, artists, and educators. These panels use the play's themes to ignite a conversation about our world and the people in it. 

CELEBRATION: Pre- and post-show events celebrating the themes of the play through art, food, and community. 

AFTERWORDS
After every performance of BREACH (unless otherwise noted)
Join us for one of our intimate post-show conversations. Led by members from the Victory Gardens community—artistic affiliates, artistic staff, and community partners— reflect on what you’ve seen and share your response.

Backstage at the Biograph: BREACH
Wednesday, January 24 at 7:00pm
How many roles do you play throughout the day? Who are you with your family and friends? With your co-workers? Online? Jeff Award-winning playwright Antoinette Nwandu’s world-premiere play BREACH explores these very questions. Join us for an exclusive glimpse into the rehearsal process as the cast shares a scene from the production during one of their very first rehearsals. Then, participate in an interactive workshop on performing stories from your own life, facilitated by performance scholar and artist Dr. Raquel Monroe. Afterwards, celebrate with appetizers from Olive Mediterranean Grill!

PANEL: THE INJUSTICE SYSTEM
Post-Show Conversation
Saturday, February 10 at 9:00pm
Made possible by the support of The David Rockefeller Fund 
The United States has less than 5% of the world’s population yet we are home to almost 25% of the world’s prisoners. It’s no secret that the criminal justice system in this country needs work, but what is being done to change it? What are the re-entry resources available to people once they complete their sentences? Join us after the evening performance of BREACH for a conversation with notable formerly incarcerated activists in Chicago about how we can make our justice system truly just.

PANEL: A CONVERSATION WITH ANTOINETTE NWANDU  
Post-Show Conversation
Tuesday, February 13 at 9:00pm
From IGNITION to our mainstage, Victory Gardens has been working with Antoinette on the development of this play for two years. How does a new play go from a public reading to world premiere? Join playwright Antoinette Nwandu and dramaturg Skyler Gray as they discuss her work and the evolution of BREACH from Victory Gardens’ 2016 IGNITION Festival lineup to its first full production as part of Victory Gardens’ 2017-2018 Season.

PANEL: YOUR BODY, YOUR CHOICE
Post-Show Conversation
Thursday, February 15 at 9:00pm
Made possible by the support of The David Rockefeller Fund 
Reproductive health care is a basic human right for women. In today’s political climate, such care is not always a guarantee. What is being done in Chicago and around the country to ensure all women have access to the services they need? Join us after the evening performance of BREACH for a discussion with representatives from Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health centers in the city.

CELEBRATION: #BLACKGIRLMAGIC
Pre-Show Celebration
Saturday, February 17 at 6:30pm
Celebrate the tenacity, beauty and creativity of Black women in Antoinette Nwandu’s BREACH, in Chicago, and around the world! For this very special public program, join us for pre-show #blackgirlmagic healing and spiritual self-love rituals. Additionally, experience free food, live art and performances in the lobby that highlight the power and potency of #blackgirlmagic.

SALON: COLLEGE NIGHT: SHIFTING IDENTITIES
Post-Show Performance
Wednesday, February 21 at 9:00pm
In BREACH, Margaret puts on a different persona depending on whether she’s around Nate, Rasheed, or her Aunt Sylvia. When the identity you project changes so frequently, how do you know who’s really you? Join us for a pre-show celebration in the lobby with free drinks and pizza. Then, stick around after the evening performance of BREACH for free post-show scenes exploring the different masks we all wear written, directed, and performed by college artists from DePaul University, Northwestern University, Loyola University, and Columbia College.

CELEBRATION: 2ND ANNUAL BLACK BEAUTY FESTIVAL
Pre-Show Festival featuring Black beauty & wellness products
Saturday, February 24 starting at 12:00pm
Sunday, February 25 starting at 12:00pm
Victory Gardens Theater believes that Black is beautiful and we know that you do too. Beauty is such an essential part of Black culture. Join us for an expo of local Black owned and operated beauty and wellness products as we celebrate Antoinette Nwandu’s BREACH.

SALON: CODE SWITCH
Post-Show Performance
Saturday, March 3 at 9:00pm
For many people of color, being adaptable is a necessary skill for everyday life. Certain circles require specific adjustments to behavior and language in order to better “fit in.” How does this continual need to code-switch affect people who just want to be true to themselves? After the evening performance of BREACH, join us for a night of spoken word by poets of color as they discuss intersecting identities and the constant balancing act between living truthfully and fitting in.

PANEL: WHEN THE SENTENCE DOESN’T END 
Post-Show Conversation
Wednesday, March 7 at 9:00pm
Made possible by the support of The David Rockefeller Fund.

After having paid their debt to society, many men and women find themselves hampered by societal and legal barriers that make it difficult get out of the prison loop and not be stigmatized by their past. Join us and our panel of legal and legislative experts as we discuss why Rasheed's story in BREACH is the exception, not the norm, and what we can do to change that.

A full and updated schedule of special events, post-show discussions, and presentations centered on performances of BREACH is available at www.victorygardens.org. All events are free and open to the public.  For more information, call 773.871.3000 or visit the Victory Gardens website.


2017/18 Women’s 
Series Major 
Production Sponsors: Janice Miller 

2017/18 Women’s 
Series Production 
Sponsors: Doris Conant; Marcelle McVay and Dennis Zacek; Jeffrey Rappin and Penny Brown; Jane M Saks, Nathan Cummings Foundation; and Bill and Orli Staley Foundation 

Major Production Sponsor: The Venturous Theater Fund of Tides Foundation

Playwright’s Society Sponsor: Anonymous; Capital Group Private Client Services; 
Janice Feinberg, Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation; 
PNC Financial Services Group; and William M. Weiss Foundation

Major Season Support: Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Prince Charitable Trust, The REAM Foundation, Shubert Foundation, The Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation, and Wallace Foundation 

Travel Sponsor: Southwest Airlines 

About Victory Gardens Theater
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Erica Daniels, Victory Gardens is dedicated to artistic excellence while creating a vital, contemporary American Theater that is accessible and relevant to all people through productions of challenging new plays and musicals.  Victory Gardens Theater is committed to the development, production and support of new plays that has been the mission of the theater since its founding, set forth by Dennis Začek, Marcelle McVay, and the original founders of Victory Gardens Theater.

Victory Gardens Theater is a leader in developing and producing new theater work and cultivating an inclusive Chicago theater community. Victory Gardens’ core strengths are nurturing and producing dynamic and inspiring new plays, reflecting the diversity of our city’s and nation’s culture through engaging diverse communities, and in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, bringing art and culture to our city’s active student population.  

Since its founding in 1974, the company has produced more world premieres than any other Chicago theater, a commitment recognized nationally when Victory Gardens received the 2001 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, Victory Gardens Biograph Theater includes the Začek-McVay Theater, a state-of-the-art 259-seat mainstage and the 109-seat studio theater on the second floor, named the Richard Christiansen Theater.

Victory Gardens Ensemble Playwrights include Luis Alfaro, Philip Dawkins, Marcus Gardley, Ike Holter, Samuel D. Hunter, Naomi Iizuka, Tanya Saracho and Laura Schellhardt. Each playwright has a seven-year residency at Victory Gardens Theater. 

For more information about Victory Gardens, visit www.victorygardens.org.  Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/victorygardens, Twitter @VictoryGardens and Instagram at instagram.com/victorygardenstheater/. 

Victory Gardens Theater receives sustaining support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Joyce Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The REAM Foundation, Shubert Foundation, Venturous Theater Fund of the Tides Foundation, and Wallace Foundation. It receives major funding from Crown Family Philanthropies, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, and Polk Bros. Foundation. Major funders also include: Allstate Insurance, Alphawood Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Family Foundation, Edgerton Foundation, Exelon, Field Foundation of Illinois, Illinois Arts Council Agency, David Rockefeller Fund, Bill and Orli Staley Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Time Warner Foundation Inc., Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Additional funding this season is provided by: Alliance Bernstein, Charles H. and Bertha L. Boothroyd Foundation, Capital Group Private Client Services, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, The Chicago Foundation for Women, ComEd, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Golden Country Oriental Foods, John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, ITW, JCCC Foundation, Mayer Brown LLP, The McVay Foundation, Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust, National Endowment for the Arts, Negaunee Foundation, Roberta Olshansky Charitable Fund, Origin Ventures, Pauls Foundation, PNC Financial Services Group, Prince Charitable Trusts, Seabury Foundation, Charles & M.R. Shapiro Foundation, Wrightwood Neighbors Association. In-kind support is provided by:  Dimo’s Pizza, Fiesta Mexicana, Italian Village Restaurants, Southwest Airlines, Suite Home Chicago and Whole Foods Market. This project is partially supported by an Incent Ovate Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

REVIEW: Sneak Peek at Underscore Theatre Company's CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL Through February 16th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:
This is NOT Your Parents' Musical Theatre Fest

Underscore Theatre Company Presents

The 4th Annual

CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL

February 6 – 16, 2018 at Greenhouse Theater Center

 Liberators-2 (pictured) The cast of LIBERATORS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL, part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Review:

It was my great pleasure to catch the press “Sneak Preview,” featuring a sampling of songs from the 2018 Festival. The diverse offerings for 2018 range from impassioned immigrant stories and historical sagas to irreverently raunchy gay dating comedies. Several of the shows have unusual personifications and one even features sock puppets. All in all, this is NOT your parents' musical theatre fest. These new shows all push the traditional boundaries of the genre in exciting ways. Standouts from the medley of offerings in the press preview were THE BALLAD OF LEFTY & CRABBE -- a vaudeville adventure with fun potential, GRINDR The Opera-- a high energy ribald parody that left us wanting more, MUSICAL THERAPY-- a clever premise full of sock puppets and psychology, and finally haunting vocals of “TRU”. Do note, this run of TRU is already completely sold out.

Some of our favorite full productions from the past year, like CiviliTy of Albert Cashier': A stunningly spectacular true tale about a trans soldier, sprung from past years of the fest. Since its inception in 2014, the CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL has brought 35 new musical to Chicago stages! Come check out these fledgeling forays into new musical territory so you can claim you saw it first. 

 Discount tickets available at Chicago Theatre Week! Check it out. 

The 4th annual Festival takes place during the League of Chicago Theatres’ annual Chicago Theatre Week, with discounted tickets available to all Theatre Week performances!

Underscore Theatre Company is pleased to present its 4th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL, created to showcase and support the growing field of musical theatre creators from Chicago and beyond. This year’s Festival, featuring full productions of seven new musicals plus two staged readings, will play February 6 – 16, 2018 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. Each full production will receive at least four performances during the Festival. Single tickets are currently available at www.cmtf.org. 

The festival provides much-needed artistic resources for emerging composer/lyricist teams to have their work supported, explored and most importantly – performed!

Production Schedule & Tickets:

Curtain times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays at 8 pm; Fridays at 7:30 pm & 10 pm; Saturdays at 12 pm, 3 pm & 8 pm; Sundays at 12 pm, 3 pm & 6 pm. For a detailed scheduled of productions, please visit www.cmtf.org.

Tickets: $20 ($15 during Chicago Theatre Week). Tickets are currently available at www.cmtf.org.



The full line-up for the 4th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL includes:

(left to right) Vi Tran, Michael Van Pham, Carolyn Plurad and Diana Lee in THE BUTCHER'S SON, part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

THE BUTCHER'S SON
Book, Music & Lyrics by Vi Nhan H. Tran
Directed by Mackenzie Goodwin Tran, Music Direction by Ben Byard 
Cast: Todd Aulwurm, Jennifer Cheung, Carolyn Plurad, Diana Lee, Vi Tran and Michael Van Pham


(left to right) Carolyn Plurad and Vi Tran in THE BUTCHER'S SON, part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Born in Vietnam and raised in southwestern Kansas, Vi Nhan H. Tran is torn between the mysterious secrets of his heritage and the waving wheat fields of his adopted home. A poignant and humorous folk musical memoir, The Butcher’s Son chronicles the Tran family’s escape from Vietnam, imprisonment by the Khmer Rouge and resettlement in the cattle country of America. Tran weaves a thrilling refugee story and All-American tale of how family stories become family lore and where one family's search for a home ends.

GRINDR The Opera
Book, Music and Lyrics by Erik Ransom
Directed by Rachel Klein, Music Direction by Oliver Townsend
Choreography by Rachel Klein and Shawn Quinlan
Cast: Connor Baty and Nathan Cooper. Additional casting to be announced.

Four gay men, seeking different types of connection, intersect to hilarious and calamitous results in this sung-through musical parody that puts the notorious gay hook-up app into the exaggerated world of opera. With musical styles ranging from contemporary pop to baroque, GRINDR The Opera is a daring, humorous look at the changing landscape of gay relationships, and the greatest catalyst for the shift: GRINDR.

IRON IRENE: A MUSICAL FABLE
Book by Liz Falstreau, Lyrics by Liz Falstreau and Ashley Flanagan, Music by Ashley Flanagan, Orchestration by Asher Carlson
Directed by Chris Causer, Choreography by Kira Christoforidis
Cast: Rena Ahmed, Luciana Bonifazi, Raymond Cleveland, Dylan Connelley, Casey Daniel, Liz Falstreau, Josh Greiveldinger, Tim Huggenberger, Josiah Robinson, Carly Sue Skankey, Maiko Terazawa and Elliot Watts

Set during the years following the American Civil War, Iron Irene tells the story of two sisters and their fight for family, equality and a better world. Upon the death of their parents, Cassie DeLanie is sent from her home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to live in southwestern Wyoming with her sister, Irene. Together, the sisters must learn to adjust to this new world while still attempting to maintain the beliefs and identities of their childhood. Their adventures will lead them to Wyoming’s shining moment: being the first U.S. territory to grant women’s suffrage.

(pictured) The cast of LIBERATORS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL, part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

LIBERATORS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL
Book and Lyrics by Eric C. Jones, Music by Bradley Dean Whyte and Alex Winkler,
Orchestrations by Nate Weil
Directed by Allison Heinz, Music Direction by Samantha Westlake
Choreography by Jaime Raglow
Cast: Isabel Breanahan, Caitlin Dobbins, Shelby Edwards, Chris Furrer, Luke Halpren, Alex Iacobucci, Jillian Jocson, Kate Jordan, Natalie Kreft, Lynette Li, Cari Meixner, Emily Moon, Mike Movidio, Gage Peterson, Christopher Ratliff, Colton Schied, Kati Schwaber, Allison Taylor, Thomas Tong and Evan Wilhelm

 

(left to right) Caitlin Dobbins and Luke Halpern in LIBERATORS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL, part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

 

(pictured) The cast of LIBERATORS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL, part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

A powerful rock musical about forgiveness, restoration, the power of friendship and what it means to be a family. This moving tale intersects and moves back and forth throughout 70 years and tells the story through the viewpoints of three unlikely men from different religious and ethnic backgrounds who are connected through a priceless family heirloom: a gold pocket watch. From the start of WWII to post-911 America, the lives of these characters will forever be changed during the historic liberation of Buchenwald and Dachau. Liberators: An American Musical encourages you to believe that even the most unlikely person can make a difference.

MUSICAL THERAPY
Music and Lyrics by Joey Katsiroubas, Book by Dan Hass
Directed by Madison Smith, Music Direction by Joey Katsiroubas
Choreography by Katelyn Stoss
Cast: James Bleecker Jr., Kirby Gibson, Matt Lamson, Alex Madda, Tommy Ross, Sophie Scanlon and Ashlyn Seehafer

Theresa is a young, single couples’ counselor in Chicago. While she’s great (well, okay) at keeping couples together, she can’t seem to lock down a guy for herself. And the fact that she tends to get attached (well, neurotic) after just one date doesn’t help either. Cut to Mr. Wonderful moving into the office next door: beautiful, bulgy-biceped Will. It’s obsession at first sight, and no obstacle or girlfriend is going to keep Theresa from being with him. She’ll ruin relationships, sabotage dates, push people out of the closet – mixing and matching her clients until it’s just Wonderful and her. Forever. And ever. 

THE BALLAD OF LEFTY & CRABBE
Book by Brian Huther, Ben Auxier and Seth Macchi, Music and Lyrics by Ben Auxier and Brian Huther, Arrangements and Music Direction by Ryan McCall
Cast: Ben Auxier, Molly Denninghoff, Ryan Hruza, Brian Huther, Nellie Maple, Mike Ott, Shea Pender and Elise Poehling

Set in the 1920s during the decline of Vaudeville and the rise of Hollywood, The Ballad of Lefty & Crabbe tracks the journey of an ultra-sharp but down-on-their-luck comedy duo as they navigate the rapidly changing world of entertainment. With a cast of eight portraying nearly fifty characters, audiences will quickly lose themselves in this absurd and delightful comic world and leave with smiles on their faces.

(left to right) Meredith Kochan and Chuckie Benson in “TRU,” part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

“TRU” 
Book, Music, and Lyrics by David Gosz and Leo Fotos
Directed by Max Cervantes, Music Direction by Erik Pearson
Cast: Bradley Atkinson, Chuckie Benson, Kiko Laureano, Nic Mains, Hannon McEldowney, Meredith Kochan, Randolph Johnson, Marssie Mencotti, Marissa Pattullo and Marco Tzunux

 

(front, l to r) Marissa Pattullo, Bradley Atkinson and Kiko Laureano with the cast of “TRU,” part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

TRU-3 (pictured) The cast of “TRU,” part of the 4^th annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL. Photo by Evan Hanover.

Through intricate characters and intimate music, “TRU” paints a picture of how hauntingly beautiful life can be. “TRU” explores the joys and challenges of the many relationships that are formed throughout one’s life, testing the various forms of love – between a man and his father, between a granddaughter and her grandmother, between a woman and her art, between a student and his teacher, between a man and himself. Walking hand in hand with reality, “TRU” toes the line between what is unbelievable and what is true.



Workshop Productions:

Monday, February 12 at 8 pm
MURDEROUS INNOCENT
Book by Tommy Jamerson, Music and Lyrics by Mark Contorno

Jacob Freeman seems to have it all; a thriving career, a bestselling novel, and an adoring wife. But when his past comes to haunt him in the form of his estranged seventeen year old daughter, Jacob’s perfect life is suddenly turned on its head and secrets long since buried begin to rise to the surface yet again.

Monday, February 19 at 8 pm
NOTES AND LETTERS
Book, Music and Lyrics by Annabelle Revak

Joe Loula departs war-torn Bohemia for Chicago in 1917 seeking a new job and a new independence. He quickly befriends Charlie, Nora and Olivia at Williams’ Custom Pianos. As the foursome become inseparable, the U.S. plunges into the World War I: businesses, relationships and pride are put to the test. A true story set to a jazz score, Notes and Letters chronicles the attempt to find an even beat in a world where the meter is constantly shifting. 

Are you a die-hard musicals fan? Do you want to see some terrific new shows and get invited to some exclusive events? Buy a festival pass and save!
​
What do I get?

1 ticket to all 7 festival full-length shows
Save 25% on your tickets, with no single-ticket fees
Exclusive invite to our February 5th press preview night to get a sneak-peek at all of this year's shows
Exclusive invite to our closing awards ceremony on February 25th
Stand at the FRONT of the line for every show, to make sure you get the best seats in the house
​
How much does it cost?
A 7-show festival pass costs only $120. Buy one HERE.
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Once I get my pass, how do I use it?
Go to buy a ticket just like normal. Once you log in, you will be prompted to use your pass like any other payment method.

About Underscore Theatre Company 
Founded in 2011, Underscore Theatre Company is a team of producing artists dedicated to exploring stories of power and resonance through a musical lens; fostering the development of new musicals; and bolstering Chicago’s role as a national leader in musical theatre. Since its creation, Underscore has produced 44 new musicals in Chicago. Underscore is proud to be Chicago's home for new musicals.