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See video previews of shows before you go with TheatreInChicago.com!
We currently have video previews for 33 shows that are now playing or coming soon to the Chicago area.
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| The Addams Family |
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Ford Oriental Theatre
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In a prolific career spanning six decades, Charles Addams created several thousand cartoons, sketches and drawings, many of which were famously published in The New Yorker. But it was his creation of characters that came to be known as The Addams Family that brought Addams his greatest acclaim. Now The Addams Family comes to life in a new musical which will make it's world premiere in Chicago in November 2009.
Watch a video preview of The Addams Family |
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| America: All Better! |
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Second City
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Its official – the United States is moving forward. We have a new President taking office, sweeping international economic crisis, and the effects of global warming all around us. It’s time to fire up the Rahminator and transplant a little Midwestern charm to Washington making America: All Better!
Watch a video preview of America: All Better! |
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| Banana Shpeel - Cirque du Soleil |
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Chicago Theatre
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Propelled by crazy humor and intense choreography, Banana Shpeel plunges us into the world of Schmelky, a cruel and irritable producer who dangles fame and fortune in front of Emmett, an innocent and romantic actor who has come to audition for him. Emmett soon finds himself trapped in a flamboyant, anarchic world where Schmelky sows terror and reigns supreme. Emmett falls in love with the beautiful Katie and meets a bunch of absurd characters, including the strange Banana Man. But who is this mysterious Banana Man and how can Emmett escape the clutches of Schmelky and his henchmen?
Watch a video preview of Banana Shpeel |
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| Billy Elliot the Musical |
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Ford Oriental Theatre
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Billy Elliot the Musical is the funny, heartwarming tale of a young boy with a dream, and a celebration of his triumph against the odds. Set against the historic British miners' strike of the 1980s, the story follows Billy's journey as a boy in a small mining town who, after stumbling across a ballet class while on his way to a boxing lesson, realizes that his future lay not in the boxing ring but on stage as a dancer.
Watch a video preview of Billy Elliot the Musical |
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| Blue Man Group |
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Briar Street Theatre
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Blue Man Group is best known for its award-winning theatrical productions which critics have described as "ground-breaking," "hilarious," "visually stunning" and "musically powerful." These performances feature three enigmatic bald and blue characters who take the audience through a multi-sensory experience that combines theatre, percussive music, art, science and vaudeville into a form of entertainment that is like nothing else.
Watch a video preview of Blue Man Group |
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| Calls to Blood |
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Royal George Theatre
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Based on an extraordinary true story, Calls to Blood tells the darkly comic tragedy of the perfect American couple and their seemingly impenetrable happiness – even as they struggle to conceive the child they want so desperately. But in trying to find a solution to this continual failure, they unearth the one truth that can destroy everything upon which their perfect lives have been built. Staged in the intimate environment of the Royal George’s studio theater, the audience will be no more able to escape the emotionally powerful debate over the couple’s future than the couple’s own best friends and family.
Watch a video preview of Calls To Blood |
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| A Christmas Carol |
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Goodman Theatre
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Based on Charles Dickens' 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol is the tale of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, who is opposed to holiday cheer and indifferent to the sufferings of the poor in Victorian London. Scrooge is visited by four ghosts who offer him the opportunity to sympathize with his fellow man. Dickens' famous characters include Scrooge's kind-hearted clerk, Bob Cratchit, and his family, including Tiny Tim; the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future; the merry-making Fezziwig couple; and the Ghost of Jacob Marley. Throughout its history at the Goodman, over 1 million people have experienced A Christmas Carol and the production has hosted six directors, seven Scrooges, 27 Tiny Tims, and nearly 20,000 "Bah, Humbug!"s.
Watch a video preview of A Christmas Carol |
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| The Christmas Schooner |
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Theatre At The Center
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The Christmas Schooner has quickly become a beloved Chicago holiday classic, a wonderful look at families and traditions. This holiday classic tells the story of Peter and Alma Stossel, whose pioneering spirit is full of the energy and dreams of America in the 19th century. With the help of Peter's young son Karl, and the companionship of his father, Gus, from the old country, Peter decides to take Christmas Trees from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan across the icy waters to post-fire Chicago.
Watch a video preview of The Christmas Schooner |
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| Democracy |
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The Greenhouse Theater Center
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In the political society of Washington in the spring of 1875, two beautiful American women must decide whether to marry two dashing American men, knowing they will also marry what their men believe about America, religion, truth and success. Linney's theatrical adaptation of two novels mixes Henry Adams' tales of love and ambition in Washington with scandals from the Ulysses S. Grant administration. This insightful vision of American democracy is scathing, funny and surprisingly relevant.
Watch a video preview of Democracy |
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| End Days |
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Next Theatre Company
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When Elvis knocks, will you be ready? The Stein's are having an identity crisis: Mom has been "born again" and spends all day chatting with Jesus in the kitchen; Dad hasn't gotten out of his pajamas in weeks and is starting to smell; and 16 year old Rachel is coping by going "goth." Who will save this family? Jesus? Stephen Hawking? Or Rachel's awkward new classmate who shows up at their door in his Elvis jumpsuit? To everyone's surprise, the invasion of his big heart and blind optimism might be their best hope for a new beginning.
Watch a video preview of End Days |
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| Graceland |
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National Pastime Theater
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Chicago's oldest cemetery is the backdrop for Graceland, the story of four lonely Chicagoans whose lives collide one August weekend while the Blue Angels airshow is in town. As fighter jets buzz the skies from dusk till dawn, estranged brother and sister Sam and Sara try to make sense of their father's recent suicide. Sara's one night stand with Joe, an aging lothario, brings further trouble in the form of Joe's mercurial teenage son, Miles. Graceland is a World premiere comedic drama about the loneliness of family, the tenderness of strangers and the unexpected benefits of bad decisions.
Watch a video preview of Graceland |
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| Hairspray |
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Marriott Theatre In Lincolnshire
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From the tip-top of its super teased coif, to the bottom of its dynamic dancing toes, “You Can’t Stop the Beat” of this Broadway musical comedy phenomenon that inspired a major motion picture and won eight Tony awards, including Best Musical. Set in Baltimore in 1962, Hairspray is the story of the pleasantly plump teen, Tracy Turnblad, who will do whatever it takes to appear on the popular Corny Collins show and win the heart of Link Larkin, all without denting her ‘do. Direct from Broadway where it’s played for over 2,300 performances, Hairspray brings its hipness and hilarity to the Marriott stage.
Watch a video preview of Hairspray |
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| Heroes |
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The Greenhouse Theater Center
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| Tom Stoppard's translation of Gerald Sibleyras' play won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. It's 1959 and Philippe, Gustave and Henri, three veterans from WWI keep each other company on the back terrace of a retired soldiers' home. Through a series of witty scenes, the men goad one another into new adventures. The men's cantankerous camaraderie becomes strained as they plot an expedition to Indochina, or at least as far as the poplar trees on the distant hill.
Listen to "Talk Theatre In Chicago" for an interview with Mike Nussbaum, one of the stars of Heroes.
 Listen
Watch a video preview of Heroes |
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| High Holidays |
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Goodman Theatre
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This darkly comic and boisterous look at growing up in the Chicago suburbs during the early sixties is the story of 13-year old Billy Roman and the rollicking, anxiety-riddled preparations for his Bar Mitzvah. When Billy’s rebellious older brother returns from college during the Jewish high holidays, his family—the little Roman Empire—begins to wobble and crack as it is forced to examine some hard truths about coming of age in America.
Watch a video preview of High Holidays |
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| Holes |
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Merle Reskin Theatre
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Fourteen year-old Stanley Yelnats’ bad luck lands him in Camp Green Lake where every day he is forced to dig holes under the hot Texas sun. Adapted from the book, which won the National Book Award and Newbery Medal, Holes is full of Stanley’s unexpected discoveries; local history, buried treasure, tall tales and true friendship. Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Watch a video preview of Holes |
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| The Hundred Dresses |
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Royal George Theatre
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Wanda Petronski speaks strangely, has a funny last name, and lives in the wrong part of town. Who would believe she has a closet full of one hundred beautiful dresses? The kids at Franklin Elementary School sure don't believe her. In The Hundred Dresses, Maddie Martin and Peggy Hawthorne learn first-hand the danger of stereotypes and harsh words. The Hundred Dresses is a poetic tale about the power of words and finding the courage to stand up for others, even if you are standing alone. For everyone ages 6 and up.
Watch a video preview of The Hundred Dresses |
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| In the Heights |
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Cadillac Palace Theatre
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Experience an exilarating journey one of Manhattan’s most vibrant communities, where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. Welcome to In the Heights, the 2008 Tony® Award winning Best Musical, with an amazing cast, incredible dancing and a gripping tale of hope and self-discovery.
Watch a video preview of In The Heights |
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| Jersey Boys |
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Bank of America Theatre (formerly LaSalle Bank Theatre)
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This is the story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they were thirty! JERSEY BOYS features their hit songs “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
Watch a video preview of Jersey Boys |
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| A Love Lost Life- The Unauthorized Story of Marlon Brando |
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Theatre Building Chicago
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A Love Lost Life tells of the bonds and barriers between fathers and sons manifesting in Brando's own efforts to understand fatherhood. The 90-minute biopic reveals his feelings towards his father and his confusion about being a father to his own children. Brando's final years inspired the author's title and focus. And although Marlon Brando was a famously private man, what is indisputably known about him is that he changed the way actors act.
Watch a video preview of A Love Lost Life- The Unauthorized Story of Marlon Brando |
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| Mamma Mia! |
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Rosemont Theatre
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An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna is about to let go of Sophie, the spirited daughter she’s raised alone. For Sophie’s wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends—practical and no-nonsense Rosie and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya - from her one-time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos. But Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own. On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, she brings back three men from Donna’s past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier. Over 24 chaotic, magical hours, new love will bloom and old romances will be rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities.
Watch a video preview of Mamma Mia! |
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| The Man Who Was Thursday |
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Lincoln Park Cultural Center
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Adapted from G.K. Chesterton's 1908 novel by Neo-Futurist ensemble member and New Leaf collaborator Bilal Dardai, The Man Who Was Thursday is part espionage thriller, part comedy of manners, part outright farce. Directed by New Leaf Artistic Director Jessica Hutchinson, The Man Who Was Thursday interrogates who we really are, where our loyalties lie and how far we’ll go to defend them.
Watch a video preview of The Man Who Was Thursday |
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| The Mercy Seat |
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Profiles Theatre
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In a time of national tragedy, the world changes overnight. On September 12, 2001, Ben Harcourt finds himself in the downtown apartment of his lover, Abby Prescott. Over the course of the night, Ben and Abby explore the choices now available to them in an existence different from the one they knew just the day before. LaBute presents the brutal realities of their relationship and explores whether one can be truly opportunistic in a time of universal selflessness.
Watch a video preview of The Mercy Seat |
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| Million Dollar Quartet |
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Apollo Theater
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On December 4, 1956, an auspicious twist of fate brought together Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley. The place was Sun Records’ storefront studio in Memphis. The man who made it happen was the “Father of Rock-n-Roll,” Sam Phillips, who discovered them all. The four legends-to-be united for the only time in their careers for an impromptu recording session that embodied the birth of rock ‘n’ roll and has come to be known as one of the greatest rock jam sessions of all time.
Watch a video preview of Million Dollar Quartet |
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| A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas |
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Apollo Theater
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Taking its source material from ETA Hoffman's tale and the famous ballet, A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas remixes the story for a whole new generation of theatergoers. This new spin follows Fritz, a video game obsessed boy, and a heroic female Nutcracker as they chase down and stop the dastardly Mouse King from ruining Christmas. Suited for families with children ages 3 and up.
Watch a video preview of A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas |
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| 101 Dalmations |
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Ford Oriental Theatre
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101 Dalmations the Musical is an experience for the entire family about what it means to be a family, canine and courageous. More than a simple story about good versus bad, the family bands together to overcome every hurdle and hardship in the most difficult times. Led by the creative team of Jerry Zaks, B.T. McNicholl and Dennis DeYoung, 101 Dalmations the Musical will transport audiences to a slightly topsy-turvy, exciting, and altogether fantastic reality that gives grand license for song, dance and spectacle in a one-of-a-kind show that will leave everyone cheering.
Watch a video preview of 101 Dalmations |
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| Plaid Tidings |
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Noble Fool Theatricals
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The Forever Plaid four part harmony group returns thanks to a heavenly phone call from Rosemary Clooney! The heaven-sent boys (Sparky, Smudge, Jinx, and Frankie) are back to sing songs of the 30's, 40's, 50's, and a "Plaid-erized" version of Christmas specials to fulfill their mission of creating a little harmony in a troubled world. Includes a hilarious tribute to the Ed Sullivan Christmas Spectaculars featuring the Rockettes, the Chipmunks, The Vienna Boys Choir and more!
Watch a video preview of Plaid Tidings |
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| Shrek The Musical |
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Cadillac Palace Theatre
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Shrek The Musical tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing adventure to reclaim the deed to his land. Joined by a wise-cracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon, rescues a feisty princess and learns that real friendship and true love aren't only found in fairy tales.
Watch a video preview of Shrek The Musical |
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| South Pacific |
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Rosemont Theatre
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Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples -- US Navy nurse Nellie Forbush and French plantation owner Emile de Becque and Navy Airman Joe Cable and a young local native girl Liat -- and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. Considered by many the finest musical ever written, the score’s songs include such classics as “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “Bali Ha’i,” “There is Nothin’ Like A Dame,” “This Nearly Was Mine” and “A Wonderful Guy.”
Watch a video preview of South Pacific |
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| Souvenir |
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Northlight Theatre
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The comedic and musical true story of Florence Foster-Jenkins: a New York socialite whose tin ear couldn't keep her off the stage at Carnegie Hall. Seen through the eyes of her beloved accompanist, Souvenir is a touching and comic tribute to Ms. Jenkins' sincerity, ambition, deep love of music and complete lack of talent, all of which brought a very unique joy to thousands.
Watch a video preview of Souvenir |
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| Supernatural Chicago |
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Excalibur Nightclub
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"Is it real? Or isn't it?," marvels the Chicago Tribune. So will you, when you experience this funny and slightly creepy one-man show by Neil Tobin, Necromancer that explores the true stories of Chicago's paranormal past, and brings them to life for the audience through interactive demonstrations of psychic magic. It all takes place in the landmark (and reputedly haunted) Excalibur nightclub. Now in its fourth year of weekly performances.
Watch a video preview of Supernatural Chicago |
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| Ten Square |
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Truman College- O'Rourke Theatre
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On the heels of the government’s apology to African-Americans for slavery, the Reparations Movement was born. The movement was successful, checks were written to the descendants of slaves and the seeds for a new America were sown. Ten Square is one of the cities that emerged in "New America" and the life of the African-American community has been forever altered. We watch Roosevelt, a soldier duty bound to protect the new world order and a resident of Ten Square, negotiate his obligations to his lover, his family and his government.
Watch a video preview of Ten Square |
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| When She Danced |
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TimeLine Theatre Company
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Travel to Paris in 1923 for this gorgeous and incredibly funny portrait of legendary dancer Isadora Duncan. The so-called mother of modern dance is desperate to keep herself financially solvent and to realize her dream for retirement: the chance to inspire young dancers with her art. With a multi-lingual script of great heart and appeal, Sherman mixes the high comedy of a colorful cast of characters with a poignant view of the importance of the arts to move and inspire us. Through the eyes of those in Duncan’s life we glimpse her greatness and how she touched so many lives when she danced.
Watch a video preview of When She Danced |
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| Young Frankenstein |
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Cadillac Palace Theatre
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The classic Mel Brooks movie is ALIVE! The sensational cast delivers favorite moments from the classic film, plus brand-new numbers for the stage. This inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein as he attempts to create a monster—but not without scary and hilarious complications. The brains behind the laughter is mad genius and three-time Tony Award-winner Mel Brooks who wrote the music and lyrics and co-wrote the book—along with his record-breaking team from The Producers.
Watch a video preview of Young Frankenstein |
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