Displaying items by tag: Parade

Producing Artistic Director Kyle A. Dougan and Music Theater Works are proud to announce its 47th season. The 2027 season at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd. includes Parade, March 4 - 28, 2027; Bye Bye Birdie, August 12 - 22, 2027; Mary Poppins, October 7 - 31, 2027, and the fourth and final show to be announced, December 16, 2027 - January 2, 2028. Parade and Mary Poppins will be in the North Theatre where Music Theater Works reimagines shows to fit the more intimate space while Bye Bye Birdie and the fourth show will be performed at the George Van Dusen Theatre to showcase these shows on a larger scale. Current members may renew for the 2027 season now with new memberships available beginning Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 12 p.m. and single tickets for all the 2027 productions will go on sale Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2027 at 12 p.m. For more information on the 47th season go toMusicTheaterWorks.com and for membership renewals call 847-673-6300.

"This season tells the story of who we are. From the urgent humanity of Parade to the infectious joy of Bye Bye Birdie, the timeless magic of Mary Poppins and an exciting finale still to come, each production reflects our belief that musicals have the power to unite us across generations,” said Producing Artistic Director Kyle Dougan-LeBlanc. As we celebrate 47 years, we aren't simply looking back, we're investing in the future of this art form by creating experiences that are intimate, inclusive, artistically bold and deeply connected to our community. That has always been our purpose, and it's what will carry Music Theater Works into the future.”

The Music Theater Works 2027 season includes:

PARADE

March 4 - 28, 2027

Book by Alfred Uhry

Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown

North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie

Parade is the daring, Tony Award-winning musical masterpiece from Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy) and Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, The Bridges of Madison County). Based on a true story, Parade follows Leo and Lucille Frank, a young Jewish couple from New York whose new life in early 20th-century Georgia is upended when Leo is accused of a devastating crime. As their marriage, faith and belief in justice are tested, they confront prejudice, political pressure and a community searching for someone to blame. In this unflinching, intimate production, Parade brings audiences face-to-face with a story of love, resilience and the enduring pursuit of truth.

BYE BYE BIRDIE

August 12 - 22, 2027 

Book by Michael Stewart

Music by Charles Strouse

Lyrics by Lee Adams

George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie

A Tony Award-winning and classic musical comedy set in small-town 1950s America, Bye Bye Birdie tells the story of rock & roll star “Conrad Birdie.” When Conrad gets drafted into the Army, he plans to say a final goodbye to the town of Sweet Apple, Ohio - but not without a farewell kiss! Based on the events of Elvis Presley’s own draft into the Army in 1957, Bye Bye Birdie is a sweet, lighthearted musical filled with young romance and just a bit of chaos featuring the classics “Put on a Happy Face,” “How Lovely to Be a Woman” and, of course, “Bye Bye Birdie.”

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s

MARY POPPINS 

October 7 - 31, 2027

Book by Julian Fellowes

A musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney Film

Original Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

Book by Julian Fellowes

New Songs and Additional Music and Lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe

Co-Created by Cameron Mackintosh

North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie

Cameron Mackintosh's and Disney’s Tony Award-winning “Best Musical” Mary Poppins brings its timeless magic to audiences of all ages. Set inside a child’s oversized Victorian doll house that bursts open with imagination, wonder and theatrical magic, everyone’s favorite nanny arrives with her iconic umbrella to take the Banks family, and audiences, on an unforgettable journey. Featuring beloved songs including “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “Step in Time,” this enchanting production is filled with breathtaking dance, dazzling visual moments and heartwarming storytelling. A magical experience for both children discovering the wonder of the story for the first time and adults rediscovering the joy and nostalgia of a beloved classic, Mary Poppins is a family adventure where imagination takes flight and everything is truly “Practically Perfect.”

Show #4

December 16, 2027 - January 2, 2028

George Van Dusen Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie

Walking into the CIBC Theatre, the first thing any audience member will notice is Scenic Designer Dane Lafrey’s stage. We are unmistakably in a courthouse – with a platform at the center and various forms of seating surrounding it. For those familiar with the story, you might make the connection that the musical itself heavily revolves around a court case, and perhaps the creative team is leaning into that theme.

Then the lights dim down and the play begins. Director Michael Areden’s ensemble fills in the seats surrounding the platform. As the Prologue begins, you might find yourself struck by the sheer size of the ensemble. The stage is filled with people, and the sound of all of them coming together is gorgeous, but also certainly hits you. The beginning of the prologue features a young soldier saying goodbye to his girlfriend as he heads off to war. The two sit on the platform while the remaining ensemble simply watches from their seats. As you spend some time taking in this scene, you might also find yourself struck by the image of this couple being watched. The two share such an intimate moment, but they are far from alone. This is a directorial choice that continues throughout the production. No matter how intimate a moment may be shared on the platform, the surrounding seats are always filled with onlookers. At a certain point, you might even find that the line between audience on stage and those in the CIBC Theatre house begins to blur. 

Arden’s production feels like a success for a number of reasons. The cast as a whole is simply phenomenal. Jason Robert Brown’s music is stunning, including numbers that fans of the musical will recognize from “Real Big News” and “You Don’t Know this Man” to “Do It Alone” and “This is Not Over Yet.” The vocal talents alone were enough to earn the standing ovation surrounding me at the end of this particular performance.

Olivia Goosman, Jack Roden and company in the National Tour of PARADE.

Alfred Uhry’s book is powerful and delicately handles a story based on actual truth. At the center is a newly-wed Jewish couple living in Georgia – Leo (Max Chernin) and Lucille (Talia Suskauer) Frank. When Leo is accused of murdering the young Mary Phagan (Olivia Goosman), the couple is forced into a journey full of the harshest obstacles that unfold over the course of years. As they move through the trial and the many attempts to re-open a highly skewed and biased case, the couple is forced to question their outlooks toward their faith and how justice plays a role in this world.

Chernin and Suskauer shine - particularly in how they bring life into this challenging relationship. The two are forced to come together very quickly for a couple that has only been married for a short time. Over the course of the musical, we witness a deep love form as the two learn to trust each other. The performers fill this story line with a grounded honesty with which it is impossible not to fall in love.

However, that which truly pushes this production over the top is Arden’s vision that directly connects the story to the historical context. Whenever a new character is introduced, Projections Designer Sven Ortel fills the screen at the back of the stage with the real-life image of that individual. Leo and Lucille Frank. Mary Phagan. Newt Lee. Governor Slaton. As more and more images fill the back of the stage, it becomes hard to forget that every major event that occurs in this story truly took place – from the death of a young girl, to the accusation of an innocent man, and to all of the hateful lies thrown his way simply because he was an “other.” The events of this story occurred in 1913, and the case has yet to be officially solved in the present day of 2025. You might find that witnessing the actual historical figures makes that truth a bit tougher to swallow. You might also find that as the story unfolds, that truth makes you increasingly more uncomfortable joining the onlookers in the seats on stage. Regardless of what Leo and Lucille may desire, we are always watching and always judging. Not only does Arden cleverly tie in the historical context, but he also connects the material into the present day.

A stunning score, talent-studded cast, and thought-provoking take make this production of Parade a must-see.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Parade runs through August 17, 2025 at the CIBC Theatre. For tickets and information, see the Broadway in Chicago website.

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!