LOOKING FORWARD: Shows We're Excited to See
Continuing our support of productions that embrace inclusion for artists and audiences, below are shows that you can buy tickets to THIS WEEK that we feel are moving our community in the right direction. Let your wallet do the talking. Buy tickets to shows that celebrate inclusion. Then write to producers and tell them you want to see more of it. Decision makers are led by numbers and this is one way we can all make a difference.
American Theatre Company presents Xanadu
Book by Douglas Carter Beane
Music & Lyrics by Jeff Lynne & John Farrar
Based on the Universal Pictures film
Screenplay by Richard Danus & Marc Rubel Directed by Lili-Anne Brown
As a tribute to ATC's late artistic director, PJ Paparelli, ATC closes its Legacy Season with a musical spoof of his all-time favorite movie - the 1980's camp classic, Xanadu! Xanadu follows the journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse, Kira, who descends from the heavens of Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California in 1980 on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time - the first ROLLER DISCO! (Hey, it's 1980!) But, when Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and chaos abounds.
The ensemble includes Landree Fleming, Jim DeSelm, Aaron Holland, Missy Aguilar, Karla Beard, Hannah Rose Nardone, Kasey Alfonso, James Nedrud, Michelle Lauto, Daniel Spagnuolo and Cameron Turner.
Ticket price $40 Get your tickets HERE
Second City presents A Red Line Runs Through It
Written by Lisa Beasley, Aasia LaShay Bullock, Peter Kim, Katie Klein, Julie Marchiano, Scott Morehead
Directed by Matt Hovde
A Red Line Runs Through It rides the rails of Chicago in order to answer life’s tough questions. How does the past sculpt the future? Are we all guided by anger? In this ever-changing landscape of nostalgia and uncertainty sometimes we need a brunch with friends to sort it all out. Who will snap first? No one knows what tomorrow will bring and the only thing that is certain is that this train keeps moving. This diverse cast of comedians will take you on their own ride exploring the new mother blues, black girl magic, and salacious local news. This non-stop locomotive launches from north to south along a transit line of pure comic bliss.
The ensemble includes Lisa Beasley, Aasia LaShay Bullock, Peter Kim, Katie Klein, Julie Marchiano, Scott Morehead
Ticket price $28-48 Get your tickets HERE
Steppenwolf Theatre presents Constellations
Written by Nick Payne
Directed by Jonathan Berry
Roland (a bee keeper) and Marianne (a theoretical physicist) meet at a party. In that single moment, an unfathomable multitude of possibilities unfold. Their chance meeting might blossom into a meaningful relationship or a brief affair: it might lead to nothing at all. Each step along those possible paths in turn offers a new series of potential outcomes: a marriage can exist alongside a breakup and a tragic illness can exist on a parallel plane to a happily ever after. In this clever, eloquent and moving story, Roland and Marianne’s romance plays out over a myriad of possible lifetimes, capturing the extraordinary richness of being alive in the universe.
Constellations features Jessie Fisher and Steppenwolf ensemble member Jon Michael Hill
Ticket price $40-65 Get your tickets HERE
Hope 31:9 presents A Light in the Darkness
Written by Jennifer Glasse, Andrea Rios McMillion, Jesica Adderly, Gretchen Kelley and Tyla Abercrumbie
Directed by Tyla Abercrumbie
A Light in the Darkness features original stories that explore the search for hope in the face of injustice, lost relationships, and finding faith. Hope 31:9 exists to serve the child (including the child inside all of us) who's been conditioned not to have dreams...it's for the child who's seed for the dream was never planted. We will tell stories that will speak up for the people who have no voice, no dreams, deferred hope. As an ensemble we will serve as the vessels of those whose voices demand to be heard.
The ensemble includes Gregory Fenner, Catherine Dildilian, Jennifer Glasse, Melissa Canciller, Candice Jeanine, and Wardell Julius Clark.
Ticket price $10 Get your tickets HERE
