On the heels of an unprecedented Centennial Season, Goodman Theatre sets a bold stage for its second century. Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins announce the 2026/2027 Season line-up of world-class talent and first-rate artistry here at home, beginning this fall. With 12 productions—five world or Chicago premieres, a reinvestigated classic, a major musical revival of a generation-defining sensation, three long-running productions, plus two new plays for our youngest audiences (ages 0-5)—there is something for everyone, from longtime patrons to those discovering Chicago's largest not-for-profit resident theater for the first time.

"We are living in a moment of enormous catalysts. And while our self-preservation instincts tells us we ought to go numb, it's actually the most necessary time to feel big feelings. To be awake. To care deeply. To laugh loud and to cry hard so we stay fully human. We've strived to put together a season that evokes all of that—and more," said Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth.

Added Executive Director John Collins, "We launch our second century with a lineup of theatrical experiences celebrating Goodman's unparalleled scope and scale. We are excited to bring our 101st season of boundary-pushing theater to our beloved Chicago audiences."

Opening the 26/27 Season in the 856-seat Albert Theatre is the world premiere of The 7 Fingers' The Attic; Things I've Seen While Lying on My Back created and directed by Shana Carroll; next, Kimberly Belflower's Broadway smash sensation John Proctor is The Villain makes its Chicago debut, directed by Marti Lyons, produced in partnership with The Guthrie Theater; then, Marsha Norman's 'Night Mother appears in a major revival starring stage and screen actor S. Epatha Merkerson, directed by Michael Pressman; and Susan V. Booth directs a major musical revival of Green Day's American Idiot, music by Green Day, lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong, book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer. The three-production series in the 400-seat flexible Owen Theatre begins with two world premieres: Dead Girl's Quinceañera by Phanésia Pharel, directed by Melia Bensussen, produced in partnership with Barrington Stage and Hartford Stage, followed by Calamity West's FEAST!, directed by Susan V. Booth; the Chicago premiere of Kemp Powers' The XIXth (The Nineteenth) directed by Carl Cofield rounds out the series. 

The 49th annual production of A Christmas Carol, directed by Malkia Stampley, sees a new Scrooge: Chicago titan Tim Hopper assumes the role for the first time. Building on its success, Theater for the Very Young will debut two new productions—created by Marisa Carr, Ellie Levine and Jamal Howard; and the New Stages Festival returns for its 22nd year, offering the first look at the newest plays. In addition, The Goodman proudly continues two highly acclaimed off-shoot enterprises—David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar's immersive Theater of the Mind, directed by Andrew Scoville (333 N. LaSalle), and Dennis Watkins' The Magic Parlour, heading into its 4th year in partnership with Petterino's (50 W. Randolph).

The 2026/2027 Season begins September 2026 and continues through August 2027. Memberships, including flexible packages, are now available for purchase starting at just $54. Call 312.443.3800 or visit GoodmanTheatre.org/2627. Single tickets go on sale for select productions beginning next month.

About the Productions in Goodman Theatre's 2026/2027 Season
Plays are listed in chronological order by venue

The Goodman is grateful to Allstate, JPMorgan Chase & Co., The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust, Northern Trust, Abbott Fund, Katten, PNC and Winston & Strawn LLP for their support of the 26/27 Season.

IN THE ALBERT THEATRE (856-SEAT PROSCENIUM STAGE)

The Goodman premieres The 7 Fingers'
The Attic; Things I've Seen While Lying on My Back
Written, Directed and Choreographed by Shana Carroll
September 5 – October 4 | A World Premiere 

The 7 Fingers is "pulse-raising magic" (The New York Times). 

From the primal vista of her childhood bedroom springs Shana Carroll's wildly imaginative, ground-breaking memoir that takes theater to new heights. Inspired by the Tony Award-nominated former trapezist's mesmerizing life story, a company of fearless performers transforms memory into daring aerial feats that are as moving as they are breathtaking. In the air, on the floor and from the heart, Montreal's multidisciplinary creative collective, The 7 Fingers, brings its "thrillingly modern brand of circus" (Time Out New York) to The Goodman in this moving new work that embraces the fear and courage of being human.  

49th Annual A Christmas Carol 
Adapted by Tom Creamer 
Directed by Malkia Stampley 
November 13 – December 31 | Starring Tim Hopper as Ebenezer Scrooge

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."  

Millions have rediscovered Dickens' classic at The Goodman over the past five decades—and know why it's "the best Christmas story ever told!" (Time Out Chicago). Follow the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge as ghostly intervention transforms his holiday disdain into delight one fateful Christmas night. Chicago favorite Tim Hopper—"for whom a furrowed brow and serious visage comes easily" (Chicago Tribune)—makes his debut as Scrooge. This timeless production, long heralded for its "first-rate cast and marvelous staging" (Chicago Sun-Times), is not to be missed. 

John Proctor is the Villain 
By Kimberly Belflower 
Directed by Marti Lyons 
January 23 – February 21, 2027 | A Chicago Premiere

The kids are not only all right, they're on fire. 

Fueled by pop music, optimism and fury, five young women are about to light up some of the darkest secrets of their one-stoplight town. The Chicago premiere of the Tony Award nominated Broadway smash sensation—hailed as "the new era of cool-girl theater" (BrooklynRail.org) "igniting its own cultural moment" (Variety)—pulses with humor and energy. Heroes, villains and who gets blamed when the hysteria starts are up for debate in this "vital, hilarious, thrilling and urgently necessary" (The New York Times) unflinching perspective of a generation staking its claim. A co-production with Guthrie Theater. 

'night, Mother
By Marsha Norman
Directed by Michael Pressman
March 27 – April 25, 2027 

How well do we know the ones we love most?  

Four decades after its astonishing debut, Marsha Norman's Pulitzer Prize-winning darkly comic landmark drama returns in a new, of-the-moment production—starring Emmy- and Golden Globe-award winner S. Epatha Merkerson (Law and Order, Chicago Med, the HBO film Lakawanna Blues, Broadway's Come Back Little Sheba). When a daughter makes a life-altering confession to her mother, their ordinary evening exchange gives way to a breathtaking roller coaster ride—gripping, profoundly relevant and "more harrowing than even its plot suggests" (The New York Times). With unblinking honesty, Emmy Award-winner Michael Pressman directs this profound reckoning about choice, care and what it means to be truly heard. 

Green Day's
American Idiot
Music by Green Day
Lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong
Book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer
Directed by Susan V. Booth
June 18 – July 25, 2027  

"A global knockout" (Rolling Stone). 

Tune in, wake up, fight back! With urgent new creative force, Green Day's two-time Tony Award-winning smash sensation that defined a generation roars back to the stage—for the first time in Chicago in more than a decade—in Susan V. Booth's major new production. Three lifelong friends search for meaning in a world that never stops demanding it, each pulled deeper into chaos—of war, of responsibility, of escape. Every song from the band's eponymous Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum album and hits from 21st Century Breakdown punctuate this high-octane, adrenaline-fueled experience about the ever-elusive promise of the American dream. 

IN THE OWEN THEATRE (400-SEAT FLEXIBLE STAGE)

Dead Girl's Quinceañera
By Phanésia Pharel
Directed by Melia Bensussen
September 26 – November 1, 2026 | A World Premiere

Detective skills: unverified. Determination: unmatched.  

FACT: Maria was last seen at her Quinceañera. FACT: The party ended early due to an unknown emergency. FACT: Maria has not responded to any messages in 36 hours. Now, her three best friends—armed with confidence, questionable clues, and zero adult supervision—are on the case, racing against the clock to find out what happened. Half-baked theories, big feelings and the pressures of Latine girlhood punctuate this joy ride through the power and pleasure of adolescent friendships—a comic thriller of secrets, sisterhood and solving crime. A Collective World Premiere with Barrington Stage Company and Hartford Stage. 

FEAST!
By Calamity West
Directed by Susan V. Booth
February 27 – March 28, 2027 | A World Premiere

Nothing spoils faster than pride. 

Carol has just been fired. Meantime, her husband Michael has bought and paid for her company's $12,000 dinner. Instead of canceling, they decide to go through with it to prove they still have a place at the table. But when no guests arrive, the evening unravels into a darkly funny collision of money and marriage that asks what we are prepared to normalize in exchange for belonging. Susan V. Booth directs this smart, searing new satire that serves up a slice of privilege and power from "one of the best playwrights in Chicago. Or maybe the country. Or the universe" (Chicago Reader). FEAST! is the recipient of the 2026 Laurents / Hatcher Foundation Award. 

The XIXth (The Nineteenth)
By Kemp Powers
Directed by Carl Cofield
April 17 – May 16, 2027 | A Chicago Premiere

"Visual pop, fleet pacing, muscular energy, welcome humor" (San Diego Union Tribune). 

In Mexico City, 1968, courage comes with a price. When two Black American sprinters deliver a protest seen around the world, what followed was more complex—and far more dangerous. With a blend of sharp wit and searing emotion, Academy Award-nominee Kemp Powers explores what it truly costs to speak out when everyone is watching in this gripping Chicago-premiere production. 

22nd Annual New Stages Festival
December 5 – 13

Offered free of charge, the annual New Stages Festival is designed to give playwrights an opportunity to experience their work in front of an audience. New Stages offers Chicago theatergoers a first look at dozens of plays, many of which have gone on to become successful full productions—including three plays featured in the Centennial season, Ashland Avenue, Revolution(s) and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao—as well as Noah Haidle's Smokefall, Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning Ruined and more.

HERE, AROUND THE CORNER AND IN THE COMMUNITY

Theater for the Very Young Productions

In the Loop
Created and Directed by Jamal Howard and Ellie Levine
Co-Produced by The Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts, Northwestern University
January 30 – February 28, 2027 | Performed in the Alice Center and at locations citywide

Set aboard Chicago's trains and buses, In the Loop invites audiences on a playful journey across the city celebrating the sights, sounds and communities that connect our city's neighborhoods. In the Loop will also include a multi-week tour to classrooms and early childhood spaces across the city. On the heels of their successful collaboration with Splish Splash: A Day on the Lake, Jamal Howard and Ellie Levine reunite to create and direct this interactive production, developed in collaboration with Northwestern undergraduate students and 2- to 5-year-olds from Total Child Preschool in Evanston. 

A World Premiere "Theater for the Very Young" production
By Marisa Carr
Summer 2027 dates TBA

Next summer, The Goodman expands its investment in "Theater for the Very Young" with its first direct commission—a new production by award-winning playwright Marisa Carr, alum of The Goodman's 2020/2021 Playwrights Unit. 

Theater for the Very Young (TVY) programming offers immersive theatrical experiences—produced and performed by professional artists—designed for children ages 0–5 years old to experience alongside the grown-ups in their lives. Created in 2023 by Goodman Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth in response to research demonstrating the profound impact the arts can have on early childhood development and long-term learning outcomes, TVY introduces Chicagoland's youngest audiences to live theater through storytelling, music, movement and sensory-rich play produced and performed by professional artsts. Curated by Clifford Director of Education and Engagement Jared Bellot, TVY productions support early literacy, creativity and social-emotional learning while aiming to initiate a lifelong love of the arts. Over the past three years, TVY has served thousands of children and families in Chicago parks, theaters, schools and community spaces with productions of the plays Splish Splash: A Day on the Lake (2026); Book Up! (2025); The Lizard y El Sol (2024); and Pearl Cleage's In My Granny's Garden (2023). Schools, daycares and community organizations interested in bringing "Theater for the Very Young" programming to their spaces are invited to contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for pricing, scheduling and more information.

Theater of the Mind
Created by David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar
Directed by Andrew Scoville
Produced by Goodman Theatre at the Reid Murdoch Building (333 N. LaSalle)
TheaterOfTheMindChicago.com

Co-created by Academy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning artist David Byrne and writer Mala Gaonkar, Theater of the Mind is an only-in-Chicago theatrical experience you'll see, feel, taste and hear.  Already a hit cultural attraction, Theater of the Mind is a 75-minute mind-bending sensory journey for 16 audience members at a time. Led by a Guide whose stories are inspired by the creators' lives, audiences explore how they perceive the world through sensory experiments derived from both historical and current neuroscience research that reveal the inner mysteries of the brain. Theater of the Mind debuted in March 2026 as a centerpiece of The Goodman's Centennial 25/26 Season and continues to amaze audiences at its River North location in the Reid Murdoch Building. 

Dennis Watkins' The Magic Parlour
Produced by Goodman Theatre and Petterino's (50 W. Randolph)
TheMagicParlourChicago.com

Step into The Magic Parlour, where the impossible becomes reality, right before your eyes—and sometimes in your own hands. ​Join award-winning magician Dennis Watkins as he delivers his signature blend of sharp sleight-of-hand, sophisticated mind-reading and personal storytelling to rekindle your sense of wonder. Now in year three at our cozy speakeasy theater, the premiere show offers brand new magic along with the return of Watkins' The Spirit Cabinet Halloween event, and some of the nation's greatest magicians as guest artists-in-residence. 

ABOUT THE GOODMAN

Since 1925, The Goodman has been a theatrical home for artists and a gathering space for Chicagoland, where bold stories spark connection, conversation and change. Now, as it enters its second century, The Goodman builds on that legacy with an eye toward the future. Under the leadership of Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, the theater continues to champion new work—following hundreds of plays developed and a national reputation for commissioning and premiering original stories by living writers—while reimagining classics and produce large-scale musicals.

But The Goodman's reach today extends beyond its home in the heart of the Loop. From the intimate magic of The Magic Parlour, now in its third year, to the boundary-pushing world of Theater of the Mind—an immersive experience that blurs the lines between science, storytelling and sensation—and from citywide initiatives like 100 Free Acts of Theater to partnerships with artists and companies across Chicago and around the world, The Goodman is expanding what theater can be, and where it can live.

At its core, The Goodman is driven by a belief that a more empathetic, more connected city is built one story at a time. Generation-spanning productions and programs offer theater for a lifetime—from babies and young children to teens, adults and seniors—including Theater for the Very Young (ages 0–5) and the beloved annual A Christmas Carol, which has welcomed audiences for five decades. Education and Engagement programs, led by Clifford Director Jared Bellot and based in the Alice Rapoport Center, use the tools of theater to spark imagination, reflection and belonging—reaching thousands each year, the majority from underserved communities.

With nearly 200 world or American premieres, two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and nearly 200 Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman remains a defining force in American theater—and the first to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson's American Century Cycle. The theater also frequently serves as a production partner—from national and international companies to Chicago's Off-Loop theaters—to help amplify a wide range of theatrical voices.

Founded by William O. Goodman and his family in memory of playwright Kenneth Sawyer Goodman, the theater carries forward a legacy of artistic ambition and civic generosity. With the help of Mr. Goodman's descendants—Albert Ivar Goodman and his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton—that spirit continues to shape its future as The Goodman expands its impact across Chicago and beyond. Marsha Cruzan is Chair of the Goodman Theatre Board of Trustees; Diane Landgren is Women's Board President; and Kelli Garcia is president of the Scenemakers Board for Young Professionals.

The Goodman stands on the unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires—the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations—and acknowledges the many other Nations for whom this land now called Chicago has long been home, including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo, and Mascouten. The Goodman is proud to partner with the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum (Gichigamiin-Museum.org) and the Center for Native Futures (CenterForNativeFutures.org)—organizations devoted to honoring Indigenous stories, preserving cultural memory, and deepening public understanding.

Black Button Eyes Productions has announced it will follow up its hit co-production (with City Lit Theater) of STRANGE CARGO: THE DOOM OF THE DEMETER  with Conor McPherson's fantasy drama ST NICHOLAS, in June and July. Storefront theatre stalwart Kevin Webb will perform the one-actor, darkly comic drama of an unnamed Dublin theatre critic whose figurative penchant for drawing blood with his reviews takes a turn when he becomes involved with a group of real-life vampires in suburban London. One of McPherson's earliest produced plays, ST NICHOLAS premiered in London in 1997 and was staged in New York off-Broadway in 1998. THE NEW YORK TIMES' Ben Brantley called it "a delectably droll celebration of storytelling as striptease...Mr. McPherson combines old-fashioned yarn-spinning skills with a canny grasp of the frayed contemporary psyche." The opening will be Saturday, June 27 at  7:30 pm, following a preview on June 26, and will play through July 26 at City Lit Theater, in the historic Edgewater Presbyterian Church at 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue.

Kevin Webb has been one of the most prolific actors of the Chicago storefront theater scene, with over 50 credits – eight of them with Black Button Eyes - since arriving in Chicago from Mississippi in 2009. He is an ensemble member of Trap Door Theatre and a Jeff Award winner for his portrayal of Sweeney Todd with Kokandy Productions.

The production team for ST. NICHOLAS includes Liz Cooper (Lighting Design), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), Jeremiah Barr (Set/Props design and Technical Direction), Joe Griffin (Sound Design), and Carrie Hardin (Dialect Coach).

Tickets for ST NICHOLAS are $30,00 plus fess for all performances and are on sale now at https://stnicholaschicago.eventbrite.com .

LISTING INFORMATION

ST NICHOLAS
By Conor McPherson
Directed by Ed Rutherford
Starring Kevin Webb
June 26 – July 26, 2026
Preview Friday, June 26 at 7:30 pm
Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm
No performance Saturday, July 4. Additional performances Monday, July 13 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, July 18 at 3:00 pm.
City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Chicago
Tickets $30 plus fees on sale now at https://stnicholaschicago.eventbrite.com .
 
This is a play about theater critics. And this is a play about vampires.  But we repeat ourselves. In this darkly humorous one-person show by Conor McPherson, a former Dublin scribbler spins the tale of his unfortunate encounter with the supernatural.

BIOS

Kevin Webb (he/him, performer) is oh so happy to be returning to Black Button Eyes. He has been seen in their productions of SHOCKHEADED PETER, MARY ROSE, CORALINE, NEVERMORE, NIGHTMARES & NIGHTCAPS, DR. HORRIBLE'S SING ALONG BLOG, AMOUR and WHISPER HOUSE. Chicago credits: TITANIC THE MUSICAL (MARRIOTT); SWEENEY TODD, INTO THE WOODS AND JEKYLL & HYDE (Kokandy); SWEENEY TODD and THE IRISH...AND HOW THEY GOT THAT WAY (Porchlight); THE PRAGMATISTS — Poland and Chicago, THE KILLER, MOTHER COURAGE and THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI (Trap Door); THE SECRET GARDEN (Court); A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and SWEENEY TODD (Theo Ubique); THE PITCHFORK DISNEY (Interrobang); THE VIEW UPSTAIRS (Circle); MARIE CHRISTINE (BoHo); SONGS FROM AN UNMADE BED, ANGRY FAGS and DESIGN FOR LIVING (PrideArts). Kevin is a proud member of the Trap Door Theatre ensemble and spends most days walking dogs around Chicago.
 
Ed Rutherford (he/him, Director) is the Producing Artistic Director of Black Button Eyes Productions, where directing credits include STRANGE CARGO: THE DOOM OF THE DEMETER, GHOST QUARTET (Jeff Nomination: Director of a Musical), EVIL DEAD THE MUSICAL (Jeff Nomination: Director of a Musical), SHOCKHEADED PETER, DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG, AMOUR, GOBLIN MARKET, and CORALINE, as well as his scripts NIGHTMARES & NIGHTCAPS, A SHADOW BRIGHT AND BURNING, and MARY ROSE (Jeff Nomination: New Work). Promethean Theatre Ensemble: artistic associate, where he directed THE LIAR, his adaptation of Peter S. Beagle's THE LAST UNICORN, THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE and BEYOND THERAPY. Book & Lyrics: the parody musical MURDER, REWROTE and MARY ROSE. As an actor, he's performed with City Lit, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Porchlight, Theater Wit and many others. A graduate of Northwestern's theater program, he also completed his MBA at Kellogg. ed-rutherford.com.

Conor McPherson (Playwright) is a celebrated Irish playwright, screenwriter, and director, best known for his intimate, conversational plays that frequently blend naturalism with the supernatural, exploring themes of guilt, regret, and redemption. His international breakthrough came with THE WEIR (1997), which won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. Other major acclaimed works include ST. NICHOLAS (1997), DUBLIN CAROL (2000), SHINING CITY (2004)—nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play—and THE SEAFARER (2006). In 2017, he wrote and directed the Bob Dylan musical GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY, which found critical success on the West End and Broadway.
 
ABOUT BLACK BUTTON EYES PRODUCTIONS
 
Black Button Eyes Productions' mission is to bring to Chicago premieres and seldom-seen works containing elements of fantasy, in which the magical and surreal invade reality. The company has mounted 14 productions since its founding in 2014, including STRANGE CARGO: THE DOOM OF THE DEMETER (co-production with City Lit Theater), A SHADOW BRIGHT AND BURNING, MARY ROSE, DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG, MASQUE OF THE RED CORONA VIRUS, WHISPER HOUSE, GHOST QUARTET, EVIL DEAD: THE MUSICAL, NIGHTMARES AND NIGHTCAPS: THE STORIES OF JOHN COLLIER, NEVERMORE: THE IMAGINARY LIFE AND MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF EDGAR ALLAN POE, SHOCKHEADED PETER, AMOUR, and GOBLIN MARKET, and CORALINE. Black Button Eyes Productions is led by Producing Artistic Director Ed Rutherford.

For its 13^th free summer production, Midsommer Flight will present one of Shakespeare's most highly regarded and popular comedies. AS YOU LIKE IT, known for its witty dialogue, pastoral setting, and the strong female lead Rosalind, is one of Shakespeare's 10 most frequently produced plays. It takes some of Shakespeare's frequent tropes - intra-family conflicts, gender disguises, and lovers who must overcome obstacles in order to be together – and creates a lighthearted, romantic comedy that has been praised for its sophisticated banter. True to the comedy's famous line – "All the World's a Stage" – Midsommer Flight will again be creating natural stages in six Chicago parks over six summer weekends. The company will crisscross the city, with performances on the near south side (Chicago Women's Park and Gardens), farther south at Nichols Park in the Hyde Park neighborhood, the west side (Kelvyn Park), and the north side (Gross (Theodore) Park in Lincoln Square, Winnemac Park in Ravenswood, and Touhy Park in Rogers Park). Opening night is Friday, June 26 at 6 pm at Chicago Women's Park and Gardens, 1801 South Indiana Avenue in the South Loop (Near South Side).
 
Founding Artistic Director Beth Wolf (she/her/hers), named one of NEW CITY STAGE's 2026 "50 Players Who Really Perform for Chicago," announced her cast of 12 principals and six understudies today. Appearing as Rosalind, who like her father Duke Senior is banished from court by her uncle Duke Frederick, is Stephanie Mattos* (she/her). Barry Irving* (he/him) will play both Duke Frederick and Duke Senior. Orlando, who is attracted to Rosalind and flees to the Forest of Arden to escape a death threat from his brother, will be played by Thomas Russell (he/they). Orlando's brother, Oliver, will be played by Ian Voltaire Deanes (he/him). Ebby Offord* (she/they) will appear as Rosalind's loyal cousin Celia, who travels to the forest with Rosalind. Accompanying Rosalind and Celia to the forest is Touchstone, the Court Jester, to be played by Chase Wheaton-Werle. Jack Morsovillo* (he/him) will be Jaques, a melancholy and dramatic lord who camps with Duke Senior in the forest.
 
In the forest, the exiles meet the shepherds Silvius (Brandon Beach*, he/him) and Audrey (Jennifer Mohr, she/her). Silvius has unrequited love for the shepherdess Phebe (Triniti Cruz, she/her), who falls in love with Rosalind while Rosalind is disguised as a man. Meanwhile, Audrey is charmed by Touchstone.
 
Also in the principal cast are Connor O. Locklin (he/him) in multiple roles (Charles / First Lord in forest / MarText / Second Brother), and Riley Samuel Merritt (he/him) as Amiens and First Lord at court. The understudies are Alexander P. Garza (he/him, u/s Duke Frederick and Duke Senior), Jerome Michael Jones (he/him, u/s Orlando, Oliver), MJ Handsome (she/they, u/s Rosalind, Celia), Robert Wood Frank (he/him, u/s Silvius, Touchstone), Matt Keeley (he/him/his, u/s Charles / First Lord in forest / MarText / Second Brother, Jaques, Amiens), and Siyi Wang (she/her/hers, u/s Audrey, Phebe).

The AS YOU LIKE IT production team will include Rachel Sypniewski (she/her/hers, Costume Designer), Jeremiah Barr (he/him/his, Scenic/Props Designer), Jack Morsovillo* (he/him/his, Music Director), Will Wilhelm (they/them/theirs, Text Coach), Bryson David Hoff (he/him/his, Vocal Coach), Courtney Abbott (they/them/theirs, Intimacy Director), Thomas Russell (he/they, Fight Director), Becca Holloway (she/her/hers, Casting Director), Hailey Piorek (she/her/hers, Stage Manager), Chloe Steuber (she/her/hers, Assistant Stage Manager), and Joshua Pennington* (he/they, Assistant Director).

*Indicates Midsommer Flight Artistic Ensemble member
 
Midsommer Flight's productions are performed in natural sunlight and without amplified sound, much as they were done in the Bard's day. Midsommer Flight has become one of Chicago's best-loved and most highly regarded producers of free summer Shakespeare. THIRD COAST REVIEW's Nancy Bishop, in her 3-1/2-star review of 2024's ROMEO AND JULIET summed it up by writing, "Is there anything as lovely as theater in the park on a warm summer evening?" Tristan Bruns of NEW CITY said in his review of 2025's LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, " ...the sun had died down and a light breeze cut the humidity. Monarch butterflies tumbled through the air and rested on laps. Midsommer's ebullient take on Shakespeare matched the surroundings perfectly...This is the Shakespeare I want to see on a cool summer evening, sitting in a folding chair and sipping a LaCroix beside a butterfly companion."
 
LISTING INFORMATION

AS YOU LIKE IT
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Producing Artistic Director Beth Wolf
June 26 - August 2, 2026
Fridays, Saturdays*, and Sundays at 6 pm, Thursday, July 2 at 6 pm
*No performance Saturday, July 4
Admission is free (donations gladly accepted)
Opening night – Friday, June 26, 6 pm in Chicago Women's Park and Garden, 1801 S. Indiana Ave, 60614
 
Performed in six different Chicago Park District parks

• June 26, 27, 28 at Chicago Women's Park and Garden, 1801 S. Indiana Avenue, 60616
• July 2, 3, 5 at Gross (Theodore) Park, 2708 W Lawrence Avenue, 60625
• July 10, 11, 12 at Nichols Park, 1355 E 53rd Street, 60615
• July 17, 18, 19 at Kelvyn Park, 4438 W Wrightwood, 60639
• July 24, 25, 26 at Winnemac Park, 5100 N Leavitt, 60625
• July 31, August 1, 2 at Touhy Park, 7348 N Paulina Avenue, 60626

AS YOU LIKE IT is a vibrant Shakespearean comedy that wittily explores love and gender roles. Banished from court by her uncle, Rosalind escapes to the Forest of Arden, where she disguises herself as man in order to win over her lover by trying to convince him he should forget her. The play examines various types of love—from passionate to superficial to mature—offering a nuanced look at romantic relationships and human connection and playfully exploring the fluidity of gender roles. Audiences are encouraged to come early and bring a picnic to enjoy this free programming. Seating is first-come, first-served, and audience members can bring their own blankets or chairs. 

Free Reservations are encouraged but not required. Those with reservations will be contacted in the event of weather cancellations or other last-minute updates. Reservations will be available through the Midsommer Flight website at www.midsommerflight.com beginning on June 1. Show information on website at www.midsommerflight.com, including detailed schedule and info about directions and parking at each park.
 
ABOUT MIDSOMMER FLIGHT. Midsommer Flight is a theatre company dedicated to presenting high quality, accessible productions of Shakespeare's plays in Chicago communities. After the company's well-received inaugural production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM in 2012, the Chicago City Council honored Midsommer Flight with a resolution praising "the Midsommer Flight theater troupe on their dedication to bringing the arts to underserved communities."  The company incorporated as a not-for-profit in the state of Illinois in early 2013 and has produced ROMEO AND JULIET (2013, 2024), MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (2014), MACBETH (2015), TWELFTH NIGHT (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) AS YOU LIKE IT (2016), HAMLET (2017), THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (2018), THE TEMPEST (2019), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (2012 AND 2022), CYMBELINE (2023), and LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST (2025). The company was nominated in 2019 for the third time for the League of Chicago Theatres "Emerging Theatre Award."
 
Midsommer Flight is committed to presenting financially accessible theatre. Productions are 100% free to the public (donations gratefully accepted). Audiences are encouraged to come early and bring a picnic to enjoy this free programming. For more information visit www.midsommerflight.com. 
 
ABOUT NIGHT OUT IN THE PARKS
 
AS YOU LIKE IT is presented as part of the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks series, supported by the Mayor's Office and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. The Night Out in the Parks program presents cultural events year-round in neighborhood parks throughout the city. The Chicago Park District in partnership with local artists and organizations, presents engaging events and performances that enhance quality of life across Chicago and amplify the artistic and cultural vibrancy in every neighborhood. Through multiple disciplines, which include theater, music, movies, dance, site-specific work, nature programs, and community festivals, the series aims to support Chicago-based artists, facilitate community-based partnerships and programs, cultivate civic engagement, and ensure equity in access to the arts for all Chicagoans. For more information, please visit www.nightoutintheparks.com.

Chicago Magic Lounge, Chicago's home for close-up magic, announces the return of world-renowned magician Ondřej Pšenička in a limited run of his hit show 52 Lovers, directed by Stepan Gajdos. Spend an evening with one of magic's most inventive contemporary voices in 52 Lovers, an intimate performance presented up close in Chicago Magic Lounge's Harry Blackstone Cabaret theater. Quirky, disarming, and brilliantly original, Pšenička blends offbeat humor with world-class sleight of hand in a style entirely his own.

52 Lovers plays Wednesdays at 7:00pm, July 1 – August 26, 2026. Tickets are priced $44 (Standard) and $50 (Front Row), plus applicable fees. Tickets for all Chicago Magic Lounge shows are available at the box office, (312) 366-4500 or online at chicagomagiclounge.com.

A true innovator, Ondřej combines original creations with expertly curated effects, delivered with a playful unpredictability that keeps audiences leaning in. With a subtle current of absurdism throughout, 52 Lovers is sharp, surprising, and delightfully off-center—showcasing expert technique with an effortless touch that makes the impossible look easy.

Each evening begins with close-up magic performed right at your table by Chicago Magic Lounge's talented house magicians. Between visits, guests can socialize, enjoy craft cocktails and small plates, and take in the vintage ambiance of the Harry Blackstone Cabaret.

About Ondřej Pšenička (pronounced ON-dray psheh-NEETCH-kuh)
Ondřej Pšenička is a world-renowned magician celebrated for his inventive approach to card magic and close-up performance. Hailing from the Czech Republic, he has performed on stages across the globe and is a regular at the World Famous Magic Castle in Hollywood, California. Known for his quirky humor, subtle surrealism, and technical mastery, Pšenička has baffled audiences worldwide, most notably fooling Penn & Teller three times on Penn & Teller: Fool Us. His creations blend originality, precision, and playfulness, making every performance unforgettable.

Also Happening at Chicago Magic Lounge

The Close-Up Show
Mondays at 7:00pm
Tickets: General Admission $35 - $37

The Showcase
Tuesdays at 7:00pm
Tickets: Standard: $37.50 - $39; Front Row: $42 - $44

The Signature Show
Thursdays-Sundays at 7:00pm, Fridays & Saturdays at 10pm
Tickets: Front Row $89.50 - $103, Premium Main Floor (main floor banquette and main floor cabaret) $76.00 – $95.00, Standard (rail and elevated banquette) $68.50 - $84, Mezzanine $55.00 – $68.00

Tickets for all Chicago Magic Lounge performances are available at the box office, (312) 366-4500 or online at chicagomagiclounge.com. Chicago Magic Lounge is a 21+ venue. Ages 16+ allowed to ticketed evening shows with a legal guardian.

For a complete schedule of performances and more information about Chicago Magic Lounge, resident and guest performers, and more, please visit chicagomagiclounge.com.

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the return of its free summer concert series Broadway in your Backyard, July 6 - September 19, sponsored by Chicago Free For All Fund. Broadway in your Backyard is directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber, music directed by Linda Madonia and starring Tafadzwa Diener, Nik Kmiecik, Juwon Tyrel Perry and Bethany Thomas. For more information go to PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.

Now in its sixth year, this free to the public summer series has become one of Porchlight’s most popular offerings with thousands of people enjoying Porchlight favorite artists performing hits and beloved songs from the Broadway and Hollywood musical song books including Hello, Dolly!, Mary Poppins, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Toy Story, The Wiz and others. 

The 2026 Broadway in your Backyard season is 

Monday, July 6 at 6:30 p.m.

Northcenter Town Square,  4100 N. Damen Ave.

This appearance also includes a performance from students of The Chicago Academy for the Arts. 

Tuesday, July 7 at 6:30 p.m.

Welles Park,  2333 W. Sunnyside Ave.

This appearance also includes a performance from students of The Chicago Academy for the Arts. Additionally, audiences may join Porchlight’s Education as they host a “Kids’ Day” at Welles Park with activities and treats for children, while supplies last. 

Monday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m.

Berger Park,Waterfront Cafe, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd.

This appearance also includes a performance from PMTeens, Porchlight’s teen performers enrolled in its summer education programming.

Tuesday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Washington Square Park, 901 N. Clark St. 

This appearance also includes a performance from PMTeens, Porchlight’s teen performers enrolled in its summer education programming and Porchlight Young Professionals Associate Board hosting a “Picnic With PYP” at the performance. “Picnic With PYP,” additional details to be announced. 

Navy Pier, STAGE TBD, 600 E. Grand Ave.

Saturday, Sept. 19 at 12:30 p.m.

Porchlight Music Theatre presents its popular Broadway in your Backyard program of family-friendly showtunes as it joins more than 110 artists and organizations for Navy Pier’s the annual celebration of Chicago’s vibrant arts and cultural community. 

Performance dates and venues are subject to change.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, in its 31st season, is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach, we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals, supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago’s most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.” 

Porchlight's history over three decades includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. 

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form. 

The company’s many honors include 178 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 50 Jeff awards, as well as 44 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 15 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards and has been honored with seven awards in this tier to date including Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies (2019) and Best Production-Revue for Blues in the Night (2022). 

Through the global pandemic, Porchlight emerged as one of Chicago’s leaders in virtual programming, quickly launching a host of free offerings like Sondheim @ 90 Roundtables, Movie Musical Mondays, Porchlight by Request: Command Performances and WPMT: Classic Musicals from the Golden Age of Radio. In 2021, Porchlight launched its annual summer series, Broadway in your Backyard, performing at parks and venues throughout the city. 

On July 24th and 25th at 7:00 pm, Chicago Dance Crash will present expo/sd, a world premiere concert at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Curated by Artistic Director KC Bevis, the evening features new works choreographed by Annie Franklin, Cameron McKinney, and Crash resident choreographer Elijah Motley.
 

expo/sd
 

Friday and Saturday, July 24-25th at 7:00 pm
The Ruth Page Center for the Arts
1016 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60610
Tickets: $25 for adults / $15 for children 12 and under
 

Tickets available at ChicagoDanceCrash.com
Questions or requests? Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The upcoming concert will feature a world premiere by choreographer Annie Franklin that investigates how traditional street and contemporary dance forms can exist in conversation with one another while pushing dancers to embrace the visceral, the intimate, and the imperfect in performance—work that is unsettling, raw, and emotionally charged rather than conventionally beautiful. Rooted in themes of voyeurism and intimacy, the piece will ask what it means for audiences to witness moments they are "not supposed" to see, reflecting the deeply personal practice of freestyle movement and the vulnerability of exploration. Performed to an original score by local music producer e j e c t, this work was made possible by the support of the Chicago Cultural Center and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. 

Also featured in the concert will be a new repertory work, "A 4 Bar Loop", by choreographer and Crash alum Elijah Motley. This dynamic piece explores identity, drawing from Motley's personal experience as a Black man raised in the South. Growing up surrounded by reminders of the Jim Crow era and stories of racial discrimination shared by his grandparents, Motley reflects on the tangible progress made in civil rights, its regressions, and ultimately asks: "Are we any different now?"

Choreographer Cameron McKinney will also premiere a new duet  - "Fall From Grace." Rooted in hyperphysicality, McKinney explores how the body can be pushed to (and beyond) its limits, and how that physical threshold becomes a gateway to raw honesty. This work operates in a space of "meditative exhaustion": a state where the energy we normally spend maintaining our facades is stripped away, leaving only the truth of self in the moment.

Seating will be very limited for this weekend-only showing and, as with all freestyle-driven productions, both performances will be entirely different. Join Chicago Dance Crash in July as we celebrate three world-premiere works in expo/sd.

About Chicago Dance Crash
A multidisciplinary dance company existing within the intersection of street dance, concert dance, and physical theater, Crash's fusion-style works and performing ensemble embodies our dedication to being an accessible and innovative dance company, creating intensely physical, authentic, and narrative-driven art. Crash burst onto the scene in its first season with a new and innovative movement play concept and has grown to receive critical acclaim throughout its 24 years of groundbreaking dance.
 

Learn more at www.ChicagoDanceCrash.com + join the conversation on Facebook and YouTube (Chicago Dance Crash), Instagram @chicagodancecrash

The Oak Park Festival Theatre, Oak Park's premiere Equity theatre and the oldest professional classical theatre in the Midwest, today announced the casts and production teams for its Summer 2026 productions of William Shakespeare's HAMLET and Oscar Wilde's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Presented in repertory for the first time in company history, the productions run concurrently June 30 – August 15, 2026, at Austin Gardens in downtown Oak Park. 

Though radically different in tone, HAMLET and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST speak to one another in striking and unexpected ways. Together, the productions explore the tension between performance and truth, asking what happens when individuals are forced to navigate the expectations imposed on them by family, society, and power. 

Staged in repertory for the first time in company history, the season invites audiences to experience two master playwrights in conversation across centuries while watching Oak Park Festival Theatre actors tackle radically different worlds of comedy and tragedy throughout the summer. 

Directed by Oak Park Festival Theatre Producing Artistic Director Peter Andersen, HAMLET runs July 1 – August 15, 2026. Called home by his father's sudden death and his mother's swift remarriage, Prince Hamlet finds the court of Denmark transformed–and deeply unsettled. When a ghost appears with a terrible accusation, Hamlet is pulled into a relentless search for truth, testing the limits of loyalty, love, and revenge. 

The cast of HAMLET features Brew Bos (Hamlet), Brenna Distassio (Laertes), Olive Gallagher (Ophelia), Pedro Jimenez (Rosencrantz), Gabriel Armstrong (Guildenstern), Patrice Egleston (Polonius), Jodi Gage (Gertrude), Josh Carpenter** (Claudius), Lucas Prizant (Horatio), and Charls Sedgwick Hall** (Ghost/Player/Gravedigger). 

Directed by Kathryn Walsh in her Oak Park Festival Theatre debut, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST runs June 30 – August 14, 2026. Jack Worthing leads a double life–one in the country, one in the city–while his friend Algernon Moncrieff has troubles of his own. When both men assume the name "Ernest" to win the affections of two very particular women, a web of mistaken identities, secret engagements, and delightful deceptions begins to unravel. 

The cast of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST features August Foreman (Algernon), Chad Bay (Jack), Sonia Goldberg (Gwendolyn), Aurora Pennepacker** (Cecily), Drew Bos (Merriman/Lane), Barbara Zahora** (Lady Bracknell), Gabriel Armstrong (Chausible), and Jodi Gage (Miss Prism). 

The productions share a repertory creative team including Patrick Starner (Production Manager), Andy Cahoon (Technical Director), Devin Cameron (Lighting Director), Evan Frank (Scenic Designer), Duncan Hon (Master Electrician), Sophia De La Torre (Board Mixer), and Jack Short (Box Office Manager). 

Oak Park Festival Theatre's paid Apprenticeship Program, now in its 16th year, provides an educational, inspirational, and career-broadening experience for post-high school and undergraduate students in theatre arts. This season's apprentices are Archer Bart, Karla Valdez, Emily York, Avery Dulak, Anya Moeske, Jo Selmeczy, Jamille Calixte, Evan Ozer, and Ella Boyden. 

Season Pass packages ($70), which include admission to both productions at a discounted rate, are available now at www.oakparkfestival.com. 

HAMLET

Written By: William Shakespeare

Directed By: Peter G. Andersen

Cast: Brew Bos (Hamlet), Brenna Distassio (Laertes), Olive Gallagher (Ophelia), Pedro Jimenez (Rosencrantz), Gabriel Armstrong (Guildenstern), Patrice Egleston (Polonius), Jodi Gage (Gertrude), Josh Carpenter** (Claudius), Lucas Prizant (Horatio), and Charls Sedgwick Hall** (Ghost/Player/Gravedigger)

Understudy Cast: Lucas Prizant (Hamlet), Avery Dulak (Laertes), Anya Moeske (Ophelia), Ben Crane (Rosencrantz/Guildenstern), Julia Rowley (Polonium/Gertrude), August Foreman (Claudius/Ghost/Player/Gravedigger), Jamille Calixte (Horatio).

Production Team: Patrick Starner (Production Manager), Andy Cahoon (Technical Director), Tessa Huber  (Stage Manager), Chrissy Roy (Assistant Stage Manager), Devin Cameron (Lighting Director), Evan Frank (Scenic Designer), Taylor Pfenning (Costume Designer) Duncan Hon (Master Electrician), Trent Jones (Scenic Painter), Sophia De La Torre (Board Mixer), and Jack Short (Box Office Manager).

** Denotes Membership in Actors' Equity Association

Dates: July 1 – August 15, 2026 (previews July 1, July 3)

Press Opening: Sunday, July 5, 2026

Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Select dates only. See website for complete schedule.

Location: Austin Gardens, 167 Forest Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302

Tickets: General Admission ($40); seniors ($30); students ($15); previews ($20); children under 12 ($5). Group discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Additional booking fees apply. 

Box Office: www.oakparkfestival.com 

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

Written By: Oscar Wilde

Directed By: Kathryn Walsh

Cast: August Foreman (Algernon), Chad Bay (Jack), Sonia Goldberg (Gwendolyn), Aurora Pennepacker** (Cecily), Drew Bos (Merriman/Lane), Barbara Zahora** (Lady Bracknell), Gabriel Armstrong (Chausible), and Jodi Gage (Miss Prism). 

Understudy Cast: Gabriel Armstrong (Algernon), Pedro Jimenez (Jack), Olive Gallagher (Gwendolyn/Cecily), Evan Ozer (Merriman/Lane/Chasible), Belinda Bremner (Lady Bracknell), Julia Rowley (Miss Prism).

Production Team: Patrick Starner (Production Manager), Andy Cahoon (Technical Director), Chrissy Roy (Stage Manager), Tessa Huber (Assistant Stage Manager), Devin Cameron (Lighting Director), Evan Frank (Scenic Designer), Phoebe Boynton (Costume Designer) Duncan Hon (Master Electrician), Sophia De La Torre (Board Mixer), and Jack Short (Box Office Manager).

** Denotes Membership in Actors' Equity Association

Dates: June 30 – August 14, 2026 (previews June 30, July 2, July 4)

Press Opening:  Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Select dates only. See website for complete schedule.

Location: Austin Gardens, 167 Forest Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302

Tickets: General Admission ($40); seniors ($30); students ($15); previews ($20); children under 12 ($5). Group discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Additional booking fees apply. 

Box Office: www.oakparkfestival.com 

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights at 111 W. Campbell St., is proud to announce its 2026-27 season launching with Ride the Cyclone, September 16 - October 18; followed by a Chicago-rooted holiday classic The Christmas Schooner, November 24 - January 3, 2027; an in-concert production of Disney's The Little Mermaid, January 27 - February 14, 2027; Chicago Premiere, The Match Game, March 3 - 28, 2027 and concluding with Rodgers and Hammerstein's masterpiece from music theatre's golden age, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, September 16 - October 18, 2027.  Early bird discounted subscriptions are available now through June 5 at MetropolisArts.com/2627-season or by calling the box office at 847.577.2121, with single tickets available later this year. 

The 2026-27 season also includes a limited run of the beloved holiday tradition, A Christmas Carol, as part of the Metropolis Family Series Saturdays at 10 a.m. (December 5 - December 19) and a full-length production December 13 and 20 at 6:30 p.m. and December 24 at 2:00 p.m.

2026-27 Season Sponsors: The season show sponsor is Suburban Accents. The season Paint Sponsor is Marc Poulous Painting and Decorating. The season costume storage sponsor is Jennifer Burnidge, CLU, ChFC, RICP State Farm Agent.

All performances are held at the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St. in Arlington Heights. The full Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's 2026-27 season includes, chronologically:

RIDE THE CYCLONE

September 16 - October 25, 2026

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell

Directed by Lillian Castillo

A darkly comical musical about six teens bargaining for a second chance at life in this profound exploration of life, death, and knowing who you are. An added bonus to the Metropolis production features Director Lillian Castillo. Castillo is the original Constance on the World Premiere Cast Recording, and she also originated the role in the American premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER

November 24, 2026 - January 3, 2027

Book by John Reeger

Music and Lyrics by Julie Shannon

Directed by Patrick Tierney

A heartwarming Chicago-based musical that tells the dramatic true story of a Lake Michigan captain who risked his life to share the Christmas spirit.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL - LIMITED RUN

Metropolis Family Series: December 5 - December 19 at 10 a.m.

Full Length Production ONLY: December 13 and 20 at 6:30 p.m., December 24 at 2 p.m.

Adapted by Johanna McKenzie Miller

Original Music and Lyrics by Cory Goodrich

The holiday tradition returns to Metropolis for both the Metropolis Family Series and Metropolis Mainstage. 

DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, a concert presentation

January 27 - February 14, 2027

Music by Alan Menken

Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater

Book by Doug Wright

Director to be announced

Originally produced by Disney Theatrical Group, this is a concert collaboration with Metropolis School of the Performing Arts and JAM Orchestra. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and the Disney film produced by Howard Ashman & John Musker and written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements.

This in-concert production features professional and student actors backed by a full orchestra, allowing the music to shine.

CHICAGO PREMIERE

THE MATCH GAME

Written by Steven Strafford

March 3 - 21, 2027

Director to be announced

This new work, a hilarious and heartbreaking family dramedy, asks us to contend with truths we may be too afraid to name and to laugh at ones we can't change.

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S OKLAHOMA!

April 28 - May 30, 2027

Music by Richard Rodgers

Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Based on the play "Green Grow the Lilacs" by Lynn Riggs

Original Choreography by Agnes de Mille

Director to be announced

The classic, medium-defining musical. A high-spirited romantic comedy set against the backdrop of a tumultuous, yet hopeful, new era.

ABOUT METROPOLIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre is a vibrant cultural hub that enriches the community through inspiring live performances, creative arts education, and impactful partnerships. It fosters artistic excellence, cultivates multi-generational connections, and offers inclusive experiences that engage and uplift all community members. Located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights, Metropolis is not just a theatre; it is the cultural pulse of the area, surrounded by premier shopping, dining, and nightlife. Metropolis offers a dynamic year-round season of professional theatre, comedy, concerts, and cabaret performances along with engaging arts education for ages 3 to 85. Serving more than 65,000 patrons annually from across Chicagoland and beyond, Metropolis plays a pivotal role in the community. It provides arts education programs that support thousands of aspiring young artists, as well as community engagement initiatives like the Third Act Players (musical theatre for thespians over 50), Crescendo Chorus (for singers over 55), Flourish in the Footlights (for young artists with disabilities), and Clearbrook on Cue (for artists with disabilities). Metropolis is proud to partner with local organizations such as Endeavor Health, Arlington Heights Senior Center, and Clearbrook. Scholarships are available for students at the School of the Performing Arts to ensure access to the arts for all.

Ride The Cyclone is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing Global, www.broadwaylicensing.com.

The Christmas Schooner is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, www.mtishows.com.

Disney's The Little Mermaid is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, www.mtishows.com.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization,  www.concordtheatricals.com.

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights at 111 W. Campbell St., is proud to announce its 2026-27 season launching with the return of Ride the Cyclone, September 16 - October 18; followed by a Chicago-rooted holiday classic The Christmas Schooner, November 24 - January 3, 2027; an in-concert production of Disney's The Little Mermaid, January 27 - February 14, 2027; the launch of a new work, The Match Game, March 3 - 28, 2027 and concluding with Rodgers and Hammerstein's masterpiece from music theatre's golden age, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, September 16 - October 18, 2027. 

The 2026-27 subscription series includes Ride the Cyclone, The Christmas Schooner, Disney's The Little Mermaid, The Match Game and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!. Early bird discounted subscriptions are available now through June 5 at MetropolisArts.com/2627-season or by calling the box office at 847.577.2121, with single tickets available later this year.