The vibrant history of the American musical is explored in Chicago author Sheldon Patinkin’s encyclopedic and opinionated new book, "No Legs, No Jokes, No Chance" : A History of American Musical Theater. Patinkin guides readers through the evolution of the American musical from its roots in 19th Century burlesque, revue and operettato the phenomenon.... Read More
Performance Spotlight
Coming to Millennium Park this summer for five days as part of the Family Fun Festival is Australia's Strange Fruit, the Melbourne-based performing arts company that fuses dance, circus and spectacle theater in their work. Perched atop fourteen-foot flexible poles that bend and sway in the air, Australia's Strange Fruit can be .... Read More
Raven Theatre has announced their 2008/2009 Season, which includes Stephen Adly Guirgis' searing Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, the world premiere of Tom Patrick's darkly comic Misamerica, and Jon Robin Baitz's adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic Hedda Gabler.
Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train
October 7 – December
Raven begins its 26th season with the.... Read More
The U.S touring production of the international hit Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage has announced principal casting for the upcoming pre-Broadway U.S. premiere. Josef Brown will re-create the role of Johnny Castle direct from the London production and Amanda Leigh Cobb will play Frances "Baby" Houseman. Chicago's own .... Read More
Artistic Director Jamil Khoury and Executive Director Malik Gillani announced Silk Road Theatre Project's collaboration with San Francisco's Golden Thread Productions and New York City's Lark Play Development Center in New York to form Middle East America: A National New Plays Initiative. This tri-coastal initiative represents the first-ever national effort to.... Read More
Every year Live Bait Theater produces stellar solo performance, presenting world premiere shows on a wide variety of themes during the Fillet of Solo Festival. This year's lineup for the festival, now in it's 13th year, kicks off in July and will have solo performances exploring spirituality, woodland creatures and suburban sprawl.
The 2008.... Read More
Each summer, the Chicago Park District's Theater on the Lake remounts eight shows from the previous off-Loop theatre season. Eight weeks, eight shows, eight chances to sample some of the best of what Chicago's flourishing off-Loop theatre scene has to offer; it's a kind of Taste of Chicago for theatre-goers.
The.... Read More
Stef Tovar, Jeff Award-winning actor, American Theater Company ensemble member and former resident of Los Angeles, has announced that he has launched The Route 66 Theatre Company. Its mission is to cultivate dynamic, relevant and provocative stories that bridge the 2,448 miles of cultural divide, seeking to be the leading arts organization.... Read More
Theater Oobleck's The Strangerer will be the latest Chicago show heading out to New York. The show, which is currently running at the Chopin Theatre through June 29th and has received rave reviews, will be opening on July 9th for a run at the 199 seat Barrow Street Theatre located at 27 Barrow .... Read More
Victory Gardens Theater has announced the six plays selected for Ignition: Emerging Writers of Color, a summer festival with a goal to introduce exceptional new writers under the age of 40 to Victory Gardens and to jump start future productions of the winning plays around the country. The six plays were selected out.... Read More
Broadway In Chicago has announced the premiere of Broadway's most talked about new musical and the biggest Tony Award-winner in years! Spring Awakening, the eight-time Tony Award winning Broadway musical, will play a limited engagement in Chicago next summer, August 4 - 16, 2009. Chicagoans can get a free "taste" of.... Read More
Steppenwolf Theatre Company's critically-acclaimed American play August: Osage County by Steppenwolf ensemble member Tracy Letts and directed by ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro, won big at the 2008 Tony Awards garnering 5 awards including:
Chicago DCA Theater offers downtown audiences a great opportunity to experience Chicago's vibrant off-Loop theater scene with an innovative and exciting look at the many diverse theater companies that call Chicago home. The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs continues 2008 with a full roster of events at the DCA Theaters which include.... Read More
The hilarious new musical comedy Church Basement Ladies will make its Chicago premiere at The North Shore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie, beginning September 10, 2008. William Christopher, the Evanston native who played “Father Mulcahy” for 11 years on the show that many consider to be the best TV sitcom of.... Read More
Looking to see glimpses of the top shows in town...for free? Broadway In Chicago, along with the City of Chicago, have announced the Broadway In Chicago Concert In The Park, a free event featuring Broadway's hottest shows during the city's legendary Taste of Chicago festival.
Performers will include the Chicago casts of Jersey Boys,
At its typically festive and buoyant Non-Equity Awards Ceremony at the Park West, the Jeff Awards Committee gave out 27 Non-Equity Jeff Awards in 23 categories, in addition to a Special Award honoring Michael Menendian and JoAnn Montemurro of Raven Theatre for their lifelong contributions to Chicago theatre, in an event emceed by.... Read More
Theatre Mir's remarkably assured production of David Edgar's The Prisoner's Dilemma launches a promising new company onto the Chicago theatre scene. But this is not a scrappy company of 20-somethings fresh out of theatre school. Artistic Director Rob Chambers, currently a faculty member at DePaul, has been directing for 30 years while pursuing.... Read More
This week is the last chance for Chicago audiences to catch Russian On The Side before it is taken to Broadway. The Broadway producer, Michael Alden, wanted to open the show in Chicago before taking it to Broadway because "Chicago audiences are diverse, smart and discerning. From downtown musicals to daring new.... Read More
Lookingglass Theatre Company announced casting for its 21st season, including participation from more than 20 company members including former star of the TV sitcom "Friends" David Schwimmer who will play the lead in the production of Our Town. Other ensemble members include Eva Barr, Mara Blumenfeld, Thomas Cox, Christine Dunford, Laura Eason, Raymond Fox, Doug.... Read More
Million Dollar Quartet, a new musical inspired by a famed 1956 recording session that brought together four of the most legendary figures in the history of music - Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley - will make its Midwest debut at Goodman Theatre and be directed by Eric Schaeffer.... Read More