The Marvelous Wonderettes

Northlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, will open its 35th Season with the hit musical The Marvelous Wonderettes, written and directed by Roger Bean with music direction by Brian Baker and choreography by Janet Miller.  The Chicago premiere runs September 17-October 25, 2009, at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie.

When the entertainment doesn't show up for the Class of 1958 prom, The Wonderettes step in to save the day.  Between belting out 50s and 60s favorites like "It's My Party," "Mr. Sandman" and "Dream Lover," the girls trade gossip about high school hijinks and teenage romance as they vie for the title of Prom "Queen of Your Dreams." This nostalgic pop musical is currently one of the biggest hits off-Broadway.

"To commemorate Northlight's 35th Anniversary, we are throwing a bit of a party to kick-off the season," says BJ Jones.  "Northlight's loyal audience is certainly a secret to our success and we wanted a production that involved them, something that offered a joyous and ebullient reminiscence, and The Marvelous Wonderettes is certainly all of that."

Writer and director Roger Bean, who was inspired by his mother (a varsity song leader and a member of a singing trio), adds, "I didn't want a songbook featuring the music of only one band, group, or composer, but a full scrapbook of musical memories that people would recognize from their youth. I wanted to take people back to a time when our hopes and dreams were wide-eyed and just a little bit simpler.”

Tickets for The Marvelous Wonderettes, $39- $54, are available by phone, 847-673-6300, or online at northlight.org. Young Adult tickets (25 and Under) are $10 (one per person with valid ID). Tickets for the opening night performance and post-show reception with the cast on Sunday, September 27, are $75.