APRIL 2012
Chesapeake @Remy Bumppo
Written by Lee Blessing
Directed by Timothy Douglas
Opening Night: April 2nd
One-person comedy about a conservative senator, the performance artist he demonizes, and the lovable Chesapeake Bay retriever called Lucky.
THE MARCH @Steppenwolf Theatre
Based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow
Adapted for the stage and directed by ensemble member Frank Galati
Featuring ensemble members Alana Arenas, Ian Barford, Tim Hopper, Martha Lavey,
Mariann Mayberry, James Vincent Meredith, William Petersen, Yasen Peyankov and Alan Wilder with Will Allan, Patrick Clear, Stephen Louis Grush, Michael Mahler and Shannon Matesky
Starts April 5th
THE BREAK OF NOON @Profiles Theatre
Midwest Premiere
by Neil LaBute
directed by Artistic Director Joe Jahraus
Opening: April 5, 2012
What if God told you to be a better person but the world wouldn't allow it? Such is the dilemma facing John Smith, a run-of-the-mill white-collar businessman who survives an office shooting and is subsequently touched by what he believes to be a divine vision.
After the Revolution @Next Theatre
Midwest Premiere
Written by Amy Herzog
Directed by Kimberly Senior
Opening: April 9th
It is a bold and hilariously moving portrait of an American family, forced to reconcile a thorny and delicate legacy.
ABOUT THE HERO OF NAMIBIA, Formerly Known as South-West Africa, @ Victory Gardens
From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884-1915
by Jackie Sibblies Drury
Directed by Eric Ting
Press Opening Monday, April 9, 2012
When a group of actors gather together to give a presentation on a distant genocide, they realize that summaries based on history books aren't nearly enough to capture the complexity of human extermination--or human interaction.
“Sixty Miles to Silver Lake” @ Collaboraction By Dan LeFranc Directed by Sarah Moeller April 19 – May 27, 2012 Collaboraction at the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1575 N. Milwaukee Ave. An everyday father-son drive home from soccer practice turns into a highly dramatic situation that explores the complex relationships with family, and how those relationships affect who we become.
MOSCOW, CHERYOMUSHKI @ Chicago Opera Theatre
Composed by Dimitri Shostakovich
Conducted by Alexander Platt
Directed by Michael Donahue
April 14, 20, 22, 25
Sung in English with English supertitles.
TESEO @ Chicago Opera Theatre
Composed by George Frideric Handel
Conducted by Christian Curnyn
Directed by James Darrah
April 21, 27, 29 and May 2
Sung in Italian with English supertitles.
Fish Men by Teatro Vista @Goodman Theatre
by Cándido Tirado
Directed by Edward Torres
A Teatro Vista world premiere
Opening April 16th
In Fish Men, a group of urban chess hustlers engage each other in spirited matches on a hot summer day in Washington Square Park, hoping to draw unsuspecting players into a high-stakes hustle. Their patience is soon rewarded by the appearance of Rey Reyes, a young student who naively agrees to their challenge. But as the game progresses, the chess tables are turned--raising the stakes and revealing the tramatic circumstances that have made them seek refuge in a game that has become their obsession. Resounding with biting humor and unexpected pathos, Fish Men focuses on a group of unforgettable characters drawn together by their need to overcome individual tragedies.
TIMON OF ATHENS @ Chicago Shakespeare Theater
By William Shakespeare | Directed by Barbara Gaines
April 24-June 17, 2012 | Subscription Series
In a high-risk world of quick profits and borrowed luxury, Timon is a financial god among men. But when the tides of monetary fortune turn, and his former friends become ruthless creditors, Timon is left in an all-too-familiar financial freefall.
SPRING MIXED REP PROGRAM by The Joffrey Ballet
A World Premiere by Val Caniparoli along with the return of Edwaard Liang's Age of Innocence and Jerome Robbins' In the Night,
April 25th through May 6th
TICK, TICK... BOOM! by Porchlight Music Theatre at Stage 773
Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Script Consultation by David Auburn
April 27 through June 10, 2012
Semi-autobiographical story of Jon, an aspiring composer anxiously is turning 30. Jon's girlfriend wants to get married and leave New York for a more conventional life, his best friend is earning a fortune on Madison Avenue, and Jon is still waiting on tables while trying to create the great American musical.
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE @ Lifeline Theatre
Adapted by Christina Calvit
Directed by Elise Kauzlaric
Press Opening: April 30, 2012
In the town of Meryton, reputation and marriage can secure - or destroy - a young woman's happiness. A world of unforgettable characters comes to life in this sparkling comedy of manners.
LOVE ME SOME AMNESIA @American BluesTheatre
By James Still
Directed by ABT Artistic Affiliate Meredith McDonough
In a small town where buzzards literally feast on a dead Chevy and the local Wal-Mart hires only college graduates, three men wait out the night in the company of a high school football trophy they have rescued from obscurity.
MAY 2012
[title of show]
music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen
book by Hunter Bell
May 4 - June 10, 2012
Opening: May 11, 2012.
When two young writers decide to create a new musical in just three weeks, they must navigate creative differences and commercial success in this meta-musical comedy laced with pop culture wit and infectious enthusiasm. Perfect for anyone who's dared to dream that they can actually get paid for doing what they love!
MY KIND OF TOWN @TimeLine Theatre
by John Conroy
Directed by Nick Bowling
Opening May 5, 2012
Stories inspired by victims, police officers, prosecutors, and families whose lives have been poisoned by the scandal are interwoven into a play that avoids easy answers to the questions of how, why and what now?
Elephants Graveyard @Red Tape Theatre
May 10 – June 9
Opening May 7
Written by George Brant
Directed by James D. Palmer
Chicago Premiere – When The Sparks World Famous Shows Circus pulls into the quiet town of Erwin Tennessee, the residents of the sleepy little hamlet can hardly contain their excitement. But when a member of the circus commits a gruesome murder, the townsfolk demand justice.
A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC @Writers' Theatre
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Directed by William Brown
Press Opening: May 10, 2012
Set in turn of the century Sweden, A Little Night Music is a sumptuous musical celebration of love. Desirée Armfeldt has always captured the hearts of men. When both of her lovers--and their wives--show up for a weekend in the country, the boundless possibilities of an old romance and newly awakened passions bring endless surprises. Full of quick wit and evoking the harmonious rhythm of waltz time, Tony Award-winner Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music is the must-see musical of the season!
THE BLONDE, THE BRUNETTE AND THE VENGEFUL REDHEAD @ Writers' Theatre
By Robert Hewett
Directed by TBD
Press Openings: May 30 & 31, 2012
Thwarted housewife Rhonda Russell loses herself in a heated moment of passion, setting into motion an unbelievable series of events that ripple through the lives of everyone around her. One performer intricately weaves together the many different sides of Rhonda's story with engrossing narrative, wit and compassion.
Rent @American Theater Company with About Face Theatre
Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Directed by AFT Artistic Director Bonnie Metzger & ATC Artistic Director PJ Paparelli
May-July 2012
East Village. 1990. American Theater Company teams up with About Face Theatre to create a stunning re-imagining of Jonathan Larson's 1996 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning rock opera. At the end of the 1980's, a group of Bohemian artists struggle to find life, love and art in a brutal economy and the height of the AIDS crisis. Artistic Directors Bonnie Metzger and PJ Paparelli will bring a staggering reality to this landmark musical.
JUNE 2012
EASTLAND @ Lookingglass Theatre
An Original Musical
Written by Andrew White
Music by Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman
Directed by Amanda Dehnert
Begins June 6, 2012
July 24, 1915: Moored on the Chicago River, The Eastland is overflowing with passengers about to depart, the boat leans to port - and doesn't lean back. Within minutes, cries fill the air, families are torn apart and unexpected heroes emerge to rescue dozens of Chicagoans from a watery grave.
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
Book by Eric Jackson and Ben H. Winters
Music by Neil Sedaka and lyrics by Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield and Philip Cody
Opens June 10th
For fun summer fare, this musical showcases the many favorites in the 1950s, 60s and 70s of singer-songwriter teen idol Neil Sedaka with the songs providing the framework for the story.
The American Plan @The Artistic Home
Written By Richard Greenberg
Opening: June 18
A young girl, continually waiting for her white knight. A mother unwilling to relinquish her hold on her beautiful, damaged daughter. The young man cast as hero, secretly and dangerously torn between two worlds.
Camelot @Light Opera Works
Books and lyrics by Alan Jay Turner
Based on “The Once and Future King” by T. H. White
June 1st – 10th
Press Opening June 2nd
At Cahn Auditorium, Evanston
THREE SISTERS @Steppenwolf Theatre
By Anton Chekhov, adapted by ensemble member Tracy Letts
Directed by ensemble member Anna D. Shapiro
Featuring ensemble members Ian Barford, Ora Jones and Sally Murphy
Starts June 28th
CROWNS @ Goodman Theatre
Written and directed by Regina Taylor
When Brooklyn-born Yolanda relocates to the South after the death of her brother, she finds strength in the tales of the wise women who surround her--and the powerful rituals connected to their dazzling hats.
Man of La Mancha @Light Opera Works
Written by Dale Wasserman
Music by Mitch Leigh
Lyrics by Joe Darion
August 11th – 26th
Press Opening August 11th
At Cahn Auditorium, Evanston
SEPTEMBER 2012
THE MAGIC FLUTE @ Chicago Opera Theatre
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conducted by Jane Glover
Directed by Diane Paulus
September 15, 19, 21, 23
Sung in English with English supertitles.
OCTOBER 2012
Operetta’s Greatest Hits @Light Opera Works
October 5th -14th
Press Opening October 5th
At Nichols Concert Hall, Evanston
DECEMBER 2012
Oliver @Light Opera Works
Music, lyrics and book by Lionel Bart
December 22nd – 31st
Press Opening December 22nd
At Cahn Auditorium, Evanston
