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Depending on the source, Bat Out of Hell ranks among the top‑selling albums of all time, so its eventual leap to the stage in 2017 felt almost inevitable. Written by Jim Steinman and performed by Meat Loaf, the album’s grandiose ‘70s sound hardly suggests a post‑apocalyptic narrative, yet that’s the unexpected framing audiences encounter here. Meat Loaf’s music has always thrived on high‑energy rock‑opera theatrics  - a powerhouse voice wrapped in oversized emotion and unapologetic melodrama -  so while this storyline wouldn’t have been my first guess for a theatrical adaptation, it surprisingly fits. What works especially well is the way the show taps into the romantic rebellion that defined his performances, echoing the presence of an artist who approached each number as a miniature piece of theatre.

For its one‑night‑only performance at the Auditorium Theatre, Bat Out of Hell - The Musical opens with a confident burst of energy, pairing Steinman’s masterful songbook with a theatrical approach that’s more measured than its reputation suggests. Rather than presenting Meat Loaf’s iconic album as a straightforward rock spectacle, the creative team leans into the material’s operatic sweep and dystopian romance, shaping it into a visually engaging and musically cohesive piece of rock theatre. In the Auditorium’s spacious setting, the cinematic staging and amplified aesthetic settle in comfortably, allowing the show’s size to register without overwhelming the story at its center.

Set in the neon‑lit sprawl of post-doomsday Obsidian, Bat Out of Hell - The Musical centers on the charged relationship between Strat (Conor Crowley) - the eternally young leader of a band of renegade teens known as The Lost - and Raven (Carly Burns), the sheltered daughter of the city’s iron‑fisted ruler, Falco (Travis Cloer). Strat moves through a world shaped by rebellion and restless freedom, while Raven has grown up behind barricades built as much from fear as from concrete. Caught between them is Sloane (Tori Kocher), Falco’s long‑suffering wife, whose presence adds a more human counterpoint to the household’s rigid control. Their intersecting tensions spark a collision between desire and authority, youth and power, with Steinman’s sweeping rock anthems amplifying every emotional turn.

As Strat and Raven navigate the risks of their forbidden bond, the story widens to reveal the fractures within Falco and Sloane’s marriage - a counterpoint that exposes the weight of time, compromise, and regret. Meanwhile, The Lost struggle to hold onto their identity in a city determined to contain them. The narrative unfolds less as a traditional plot than as an atmospheric journey, laced with youthful rebellion and driven by Steinman’s music, which propels the characters through a world where love becomes both an act of defiance and a means of survival.

The show’s design builds around Steinman’s biggest showstoppers, threading them through the narrative with the kind of theatrical sweep that has long defined his work. Signature numbers such as “Bat Out of Hell,” “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That),” “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” delivered with standout vocals and sizzle from Travis Cloer and Tori Kocher, form the musical backbone of the evening, each landing with the scale and intensity fans expect. Rather than serving as simple nostalgia cues, these songs shape the emotional architecture of the production, driving its crescendos and giving the story much of its momentum. Their presence underscores just how enduring - and theatrically adaptable - Steinman’s catalog remains.

As the production’s central pair, Conor Crowley and Carly Burns offer grounded, complementary performances as Strat and Raven. Crowley brings a clear vocal presence and an easy confidence to the role, while Burns provides a calm, steady counterpoint that helps shape the emotional arc of their scenes together. Their dynamic feels natural and unforced, giving the story a solid center without overpowering the production’s broader stylistic choices.

Production phot of Bat Out of Hell - The Musical by Chris Davis Studio 2

The ensemble moves with an easy rhythmic cohesion, offering strong vocal moments that add texture and dimension to Jay Scheib’s vision. Their presence helps fill out the world of Obsidian, giving the production momentum even when the staging remains intentionally spare. Scheib’s use of a live onstage cameraman adds another layer, capturing close‑up details that are projected onto two large overhead screens and lending the performance a subtle filmic quality. The choice works on both a practical and stylistic level, allowing the show to shift between the intimacy of the camera lens and the broader sweep of the stage. What initially feels like a distraction quickly becomes part of the visual language of the production, blending in so seamlessly that the cameraman all but disappears from notice.

The physical world of Bat Out of Hell - The Musical unfolds across a vast industrial landscape that captures the fractured, glow‑soaked atmosphere of Obsidian. The set itself is relatively simple, but the production makes sharp use of dynamic lighting to build atmosphere, scale, and momentum. A towering network of platforms, staircases, and metal scaffolding creates a vertical playground where the cast can vault between levels and stage the show’s most high‑energy moments. One of these platforms houses the live band, led by Greg Paladino, whose presence adds both immediacy and a welcome sense of rock‑concert authenticity.

Bat Out of Hell threads its spectacle with clear symbolic beats: The Lost, frozen in age, embody youth suspended between rebellion and stagnation, while Obsidian’s crumbling, fluorescent‑hazed skyline reflects a society shaped by fear and control. Strat and Raven’s romance becomes a tug‑of‑war between liberation and confinement, and Falco’s fortress stands in for every system determined to hold change at bay. Even the production’s constant motion suggests a world enthralled by spectacle yet uneasy with evolution.

It’s gratifying to see that the legacy of Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf continues to reach new audiences, while also resonating with longtime fans - some of whom sing along to every word of certain songs throughout the performance. The material’s larger‑than‑life sound remains a recognizable cultural marker, and this musical now holds a distinct place for many who appreciate the intersection of rock and musical theatre.

In the end, Bat Out of Hell - The Musical isn’t aiming for subtlety, but that’s part of its charm. It delivers an energetic surge powered by Steinman and Meat Loaf’s expansive songbook and a cast that commits fully to every moment. The storyline undoubtedly edges into corniness here and there, yet it matters little when the production is this unabashedly fun - and the sheer force of the music makes the ride worthwhile on its own.

The bat may well fly back again someday, but for now, Bat Out of Hell - The Musical arrived as a one‑night‑only event. For more information, visit https://batoutofhellmusical.com/.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

The Tony Award® winning Best Musical, THE OUTSIDERS, based on the seminal novel by S.E. Hinton and Francis Ford Coppola’s landmark motion picture, will return to Broadway In Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre this summer, August 4 – 16, 2026, after a sold-out engagement earlier this year. Groups of 10+ are now available by calling 312-977-1710 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Single tickets will go on sale Monday, April 20. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

“We are thrilled to bring THE OUTSIDERS back to Chicago this summer,” said producer Matthew Rego of The Araca Group. “After an extraordinary sold-out run this past winter, Chicago audiences made it clear they were ready for a return and we are grateful for the opportunity to deliver another engagement.”

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1967, Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade and their Greaser family of ‘outsiders’ battle with their affluent rivals, the Socs. THE OUTSIDERS navigates the complexities of self-discovery as the Greasers dream about who they want to become in a world that may never accept them. With a dynamic original score, THE OUTSIDERS is a story of friendship, family, belonging…and the realization that there is still “lots of good in the world.”

The winner of four 2024 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, THE OUTSIDERS features a book by Tony Award nominee Adam Rapp with Tony Award winner Justin Levine, music and lyrics by Tony Award nominees Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, music supervision, orchestration & arrangements by Justin Levine, choreography by Tony Award nominees Rick Kuperman & Jeff Kuperman and is directed by Tony Award winner Danya Taymor. 

THE OUTSIDERS features Scenography by Tony Award nominees AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, Costume Design by Sarafina Bush, Lighting Design by Tony Award winner Brian MacDevitt, Sound Design by Tony Award winner Cody Spencer, Projection Design by Tony Award winner Hana S. Kim, Special Effects Design by Jeremy Chernick & Lillis Meeh, Hair & Wig Design by Alberto “Albee” Alvarado, Makeup Design by Tishonna Ferguson, Sound Effects Specialist Taylor Bense, Creative Consultant Jack Viertel. Speech Text & Dialect Coach Gigi Buffington. Music Supervision & Additional Orchestrations by Tony Award nominee Matt Hinkley, Music Direction by Remy Kurs. Production Supervision by Beverly Jenkins, Production Stage Management by Edmond O’Neal. Casting is by The TRC Company/Xavier Rubiano, CSA

THE OUTSIDERS opened on Broadway on April 11, 2024, to rave reviews and continues to play to sold out houses at the Jacobs Theatre (242 West 45^th Street). The New York Post proclaims THE OUTSIDERS as “THE BEST NEW MUSICAL OF THE SEASON." “STUNNING THINGS ARE HAPPENING ON THE STAGE OF THE JACOBS THEATER. Electrifying. Astonishing. Endlessly effective. THE OUTSIDERS has been made with so much love and sincerity. It is fair to call it golden." says The New York Times. Entertainment Weekly says, “THE OUTSIDERS has a heart of gold and THE POWER TO INSPIRE AN ENTIRE GENERATION.” “AN EXHILARATING WORLD OF MOVEMENT WITH HIGH-OCTANE CHOREOGRAPHY,” states New York Magazine. Time Out New York calls it “RAW AND MORE PULSE-POUNDING than anything else on Broadway right now."

THE OUTSIDERS is produced on tour by The Araca Group, American Zoetrope, Olympus Theatricals, Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky, Angelina Jolie, Betsy Dollinger, Jonathan & Michelle Clay, Cristina Marie Vivenzio, The Shubert Organization, LaChanze & Marylee Fairbanks, Debra Martin Chase, Sony Music Masterworks, Jamestown Revival Theater, Jennifer & Jonathan Allan Soros, Tanninger Entertainment, Tamlyn Brooke Shusterman, Mistry Theatrical Ventures, Galt & Irvin Productions, Tulsa Clarks, Paul & Margaret Liljenquist, Bob & Claire Patterson, Voltron Global Media, James L. Nederlander, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, The John Gore Organization, Independent Presenters Network, Stephen Lindsay & Brett Sirota, Jeffrey Finn, Playhouse Square, ASR Productions, Indelible InK, Lionheart Productions, The Broadway Investor’s Club, Starhawk Productions, Distant Rumble, GTR Productions, Green Leaf Partnership, Michael & Elizabeth Venuti, Leslie Kavanaugh, Deborah & Dave Smith, Belle Productions, Chas & Jen Grossman, Rungnapa & Jim Teague, Michael & Molly Schroeder, Casey & Chelsea Baugh, Jim & Emily Flautt, Jon L. Morris, Becky Winkler, William Moran Hickey Jr. & William Moran Hickey III, Melissa Chamberlain & Michael McCartney, Wavelength Productions, Rob O’Neill & Shane Snow, Eric Stine, Rachel Weinstein, Cornice Productions and La Jolla Playhouse. 

The Grammy-nominated Original Broadway Cast Recording of THE OUTSIDERS from Sony Masterworks Broadway is now available at https://theoutsidersbroadway.lnk.to/castalbum.

The world premiere of THE OUTSIDERS was produced by La Jolla Playhouse, Christopher Ashley, Artistic Director and Debby Buchholz, Managing Director, in March 2023.
 

OutsidersMusical.com 
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ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 26 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium™.

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
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Goodman Theatre’s production of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom arrives with the weight of expectation - and under the dual direction of Chuck Smith and Harry Lennix, it does not merely meet that weight, it reshapes it. This is not a revival of August Wilson’s searing text; it is a precise, muscular excavation of its tensions, its music, and its truths.

From the outset, the production leans into what makes Ma Rainey distinct within Wilson’s canon: its compression. There is no sprawling Hill District, no generational sweep - only a room, a day, and a reckoning. Smith and Lennix understand this pressure-cooker structure and allows it to simmer deliberately. The pacing is patient but never indulgent, each pause and eruption calibrated to expose the fractures between the woman, the men and the system that contains them.

At the center stands E. Faye Butler’s Ma Rainey, and “center” is not metaphorical - it is gravitational. Butler embodies what makes Ma singular among Wilson’s women: she is not surviving the system, she is making the system bend to her will. Where characters like Rose in Fences or Bertha in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone endure with moral resilience, Ma operates with economic and performative authority. Butler’s Ma is unapologetically self-possessed, openly sensual in her relationship with Dussie Mae, and fiercely aware of her value. Every demand - a Coca-Cola, a delay, a correction - is less eccentricity than strategy. She dictates the terms, and the room adjusts.

Surrounding her is a cast that functions both as ensemble and as volatile elements in a dramatic equation. Al’Jaleel McGhee’s Levee is electric, restless, and dangerously unmoored. He captures the tragic duality of the character: brilliance tethered to illusion. His performance builds like a slow burn until it detonates, revealing the unresolved trauma and misplaced faith in a system that will never reward him. In contrast, David Alan Anderson’s Cutler is grounded, pragmatic, a man who has learned the cost of survival. Kelvin Roston, Jr.’s Toledo brings intellectual weight, his reflections on Black identity landing with quiet force, while Cedric Young’s Slow Drag occupies the margins with understated authenticity.

The white power structure—embodied by Matt DeCaro’s Sturdyvant and Marc Grapey’s Irvin - is rendered with chilling subtlety. There is no overt villainy here, only the smooth machinery of exploitation. Irvin’s politeness is the point; it is the veneer that makes the system function.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Goodman Theatre. (L-R) Jabari Khaliq, E. Faye Butler, Kelvin Roston Jr.

Visually, the production is nothing short of exquisite. Linda Buchanan’s set design transforms the stage into a 1920s Chicago recording studio that feels both expansive and suffocating. The inclusion of distinct spaces - the recording area, control room, rehearsal room, even a suggestion of the street - creates a dynamic environment while maintaining the play’s essential confinement. This is a world built for observation and control.

Jared Gooding’s lighting design elevates this world into something almost cinematic. The suggestion of the Chicago Loop’s overhead train is particularly striking, its presence looming like an industrial heartbeat. Gooding uses light not just for visibility but for composition - creating tableaus, isolating tensions, and guiding the audience’s eye with precision.

And then there are Evelyn M. Danner’s costumes, which operate as visual dramaturgy. The color palette tells its own story: Irvin and Sturdyvant in stark black and white, embodiments of rigid power; the band in various shades of brown, signaling labor, reliability, and earthbound existence; and Ma Rainey in a commanding money-green dress, a walking declaration of her worth. Dussie Mae’s yellow flapper dress, accented with green, subtly marks her proximity to that wealth and power. Even Sylvester’s patterned brown attire hints at his connection to Ma’s orbit. Every choice is intentional, every color a statement.

What ultimately distinguishes this production is its understanding of language - not just Wilson’s text, but the music within it. The scenes among the band members crackle with rhythm and lyricism, their banter and arguments forming a kind of blues composition. It is beautiful, but volatile - a powder keg of masculinity, frustration, and deferred dreams.

What Chuck Smith and Harry Lennix achieve is extraordinary. They do not merely stage Ma Rainey's Black Bottom; they orchestrate it, allowing every performance, every design element, every silence to resonate with intention. Nowhere is that more evident than in Levee’s arc, where Al’Jaleel McGhee delivers a performance that simmers with ambition and barely contained rage, his volatility carefully shaped into a slow, inevitable unraveling.

This is direction of the highest order - precise, unflinching, and deeply attuned to the rhythms of Wilson’s language and the weight of his themes. What emerges is not just unforgettable theatre, but necessary theatre: a production that insists we listen more closely, look more deeply, and reckon more honestly with the truths it lays before us.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

When: Through May 3

Where: Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St.

Tickets: $44-$84

Info: www.goodmantheatre.org

Box Office: 312-443-3800

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

I’m going to start with a bit of backstory.  In high school we all read (more or less voluntarily) The Iliad, Homer’s poetic exploration of a war that occurred during the Bronze Age yet continues to resonate with twenty-first century significance. Homer focuses (naturally!) on the guys:  heroic Greek Achilles and his lover Patroclus; Hector, prince and hero of Troy; Greek King Menelaus vs. Paris, Prince of Troy. The women are pretty much either pawns or plunder. The Iliad begins with Hector’s baby bro Paris swiping Helen, wife of Menelaus. Menelaus and Paris duel, intending Helen to be the prize, but when Paris is defeated, Aphrodite delivers him to Helen’s bed before Menelaus has a chance to kill him – a good example of the ambivalent outcomes when the gods and goddesses mix it up with mortals. THE TROJAN WOMEN actually begins with an introduction by Poseidon (Brian Weddington), god of the sea, and Rachel Sledd as Athena, goddess of war.

THE TROJAN WOMEN analyzes the costs of war through the trauma and grief of the Trojan women after their city has been sacked, their husbands killed, and their remaining families taken away as slaves. It’s set in a present-day hospital maternity ward that’s serving as confinement for troublesome females. The Chorus (Morgan Lavenstein), that hallmark of ancient Greek drama who provides insight into events both on- and offstage, appears as a woman vastly pregnant and chained to the bed.  She’s not best pleased at any of this, and no more tickled about rooming with Hecuba (Ashway Lawver), queen of vanquished Troy and vehemently unreconciled to its overthrow.

Ben Page is Talthybius, a Greek herald who pops in and out with news bulletins, each more hideous than the last. His is the task to reveal to the women their destinies: Hecuba will be given to the Greek king Odysseus, the widowed princess Andromache (Jazmine Mazique) is to be the concubine of Achilles’ son, and Cassandra (Liliana Mastroianni) is destined to become the conquering king Agamemnon’s doxy. Cassandra is clairvoyant, which one might assume to be an asset, but her mother has always dismissed her revelations as hysterical attention-seeking, especially as in such grievous times the future may not be something you really want to hear about.  Andromache, Princess of Troy, has just borne a son to her ex-husband ex-Prince Hector, and Talthybius must also break the news that her baby must die, as the Greeks fear he will grow up to avenge his father Hector. And Helen (Morgan Burkey), whose beauty launched a thousand playwrights, ends up back with her husband Menelaus (Marcus Castillo). There’s lots of babies around – we’re in a maternity ward, remember? – and babies are a natural outcome of the unbridled rape that is ubiquitous in wartime; in fact, it appears that the primary position of women in conquered Troy is prone. Plus, ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

OK, are you more or less caught up on characters and setting? cos I need to tell you about Eos Theatre Company. Their stated mission is ‘to shine light into the darkness of the human condition and to amplify women’s voices and stories’, and they’ve chosen THE TROJAN WOMEN as their inaugural presentation because it does both brilliantly. The four co-founders of Eos united at the first table read of The Trojan Women in February 2025. That production was not only fabulous but propagative as well: the four decided to remount the show and simultaneously create a brand-new, all-woman company, named EOS in honor of the Greek Goddess of the dawn who flies her chariot across the sky, pulling back the curtain of night to usher in the light of the sun.

Rachel Sledd is a born-and-bred Chicagoan who lived and acted between New York and Los Angeles until 2006, when she returned to her hometown. Ashway Lawver grew up in Los Angeles. Her passion for the art and study of Acting led her to Chicago to attend The School at Steppenwolf and she found in Chicago her true theatrical home. Morgan Lavenstein began acting in Baltimore at the ripe old age of 8. She attended The School at Steppenwolf and Chicago became her forever home. Morgan Burkey is originally from Texas. In 2017 she was accepted into School at Steppenwolf, where she met fellow co-founders Morgan Lavenstein and Ashway Lawver. Amazing, innit, how extraordinary people from far-flung origins are drawn together? Call it destiny, fate, or kismet, in this case it’s providential.

The production team was as superb as the cast. Co-founder Rachel Sledd was Director and Michael Lesko Stage Manager. Shayna Patel’s Set Design portrayed the ambience before the actors took the stage.  The story was encompassed by Mason Absher’s Sound; his choices of music interlocked perfectly and toward the end the impassioned sound pulled the storyline together, as did Garrett Bell’s breathtaking lighting effects.

Seeing THE TROJAN WOMEN was thrilling not only for the splendid play itself, but for the chance to witness the emergence of Eos, a feminist company whose development is sure to beguile and invigorate Chicago for years to come.

Running through April 18^th at Bramble Arts Loft

RECOMMENDED

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Under the leadership of Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman and Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre, Court Theatre is proud to announce its 72nd season. As America marks 250 years of nationhood, Court Theatre, as Chicago's premier stage for classic work, responds with a season that examines our shared pursuit of Life and Liberty.

The 2026/27 season will feature the American premiere of Winsome Pinnock's Tituba, set in colonial Salem against the backdrop of the infamous witch trials, directed by Associate Artistic Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent, with dramaturgy by Avery Willis Hoffman, performed at the University of Chicago's iconic Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. Following Tituba, we move to twentieth-century Pittsburgh one last time as Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson directs August Wilson's masterwork, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, bringing his staging of the August Wilson American Century Cycle at Court Theatre to a triumphant conclusion. We then proudly feature Luis Alfaro's Mojada, a blistering reimagining of the Greek classic Medea, as a testament to twenty-first century immigrant life in Chicago, produced in partnership with Teatro Vista Productions and directed by Wendy Mateo and Denise Yvette Serna. The season concludes with safronia, an epic new opera that highlights a family's fight for justice across generations, created by inaugural Chicago Poet Laureate avery r. young and directed by Timothy Douglas.

Court Theatre's 72nd season is an exploration of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit. America is at an undeniable inflection point. We, as a set of complex communities, are reexamining our systems and very ways of being, challenging long-held beliefs, and asking urgent questions. Theatre—which we believe to be a foundational pillar of civic discourse—helps us to find new pathways through complicated times. The 2026/27 season peers deep into the heart of distinctly American stories—with all their nuance, contradictions, and beauty—and reaffirms the crucial resilience of the classics.

Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman shares, "As our country passes a historic milestone, Court's 2026/27 season works towards demonstrating theatre's place at the center of civic life. Our art form has historically offered fresh perspectives, inspired spirited discourse, and created unique and shared experiences that help us better understand each other and ourselves. In this moment of intense reflection, we are re-committing to this complicated, but basic, mission, all of which feels increasingly urgent, and getting to the heart of how theatre can make a real impact. In my first full season as the new Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director, I am proud that Court is leading these conversations."

Executive Director Angel Ysaguirre adds, "The 2026/27 season affirms that American stories are varied, complex, and beautiful, and it has something for everyone. From Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson's historic completion of the August Wilson Century Cycle, to a new opera, to a national premiere, to a Chicago-specific adaptation, this season stretches our expectations and expands the boundaries of our art form. This is exciting for us, our audiences, and the artists we're working with—some of whom we're thrilled to welcome to Court's stage for the first time. We can't wait to present a season that is as varied, complex, and beautiful as the America outside our doors."

The first production in Court Theatre's 2026/27 season begins in December 2026, markedly later than years past, and will take place offsite at the University of Chicago's Rockefeller Memorial Chapel. Court's Abelson Auditorium will be dark for the summer and fall of 2026 as we modernize our lighting equipment and implement a new fall protection system. These changes will create a safer working environment for theatre technicians, and provide necessary and exciting updates to our intimate house.

The 2026/27 Court Theatre Season Up Close:

AMERICAN PREMIERE

TITUBA

By Winsome Pinnock

Directed by Associate Artistic Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent

Dramaturgy by Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman

Limited Engagement at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel

December 2026, dates to be announced

Performed in the hallowed halls of the University of Chicago's Rockefeller Memorial Chapel, the 2026/27 season opens with the American premiere of Tituba—a theatrical experience that offers a new lens on pre-Revolutionary War America through spiritually charged language, music, and dance.

In this solo performance, Tituba—the real-life person accused in the Salem witch trials of 1692 and featured in Arthur Miller's classic The Crucible—invites the audience to journey through her mystical world to hear her side of the story. With care and wry humor, she details her history with the girls in Salem Village, her beloved mother and husband, Reverend Parris's rage, the violence of enslavement, and her unspoken indigenous name, building to a scathing climax and the ignition of historic mass hysteria.

Set against the backdrop of the institution that accused Tituba centuries ago, Associate Artistic Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent directs, with dramaturgy by Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director Avery Willis Hoffman. Together, they bring Tituba's life story to light in a sacred place, uplifting her voice and showcasing the transformational power of storytelling.

JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE

By August Wilson

Directed by Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson

January 8 - February 7, 2027

More than twenty years in the making, Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson completes a defining chapter of his artistic legacy. With Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Parson completes August Wilson's American Century Cycle and joins an elite circle of directors who have staged all ten plays at the same theatre.

It is 1911, and Harold Loomis and his daughter, Zonia, have been on the road for years, searching for Zonia's mother and, unbeknownst to Harold, chasing his forgotten song. Their journey leads them to Seth Holly's boardinghouse, where they meet Holly, his wife, and fellow boarders who, like them, are in relentless pursuit of love, identity, freedom, and purpose.

Wilson's iconic, evocative prose and vivid characters shine in this portrayal of a nation haunted by slavery, with spirits around every corner and no escape in sight.

Ron OJ Parson's residency is made possible by The Joyce Foundation.

MOJADA

By Luis Alfaro

Directed by Wendy Mateo and Denise Yvette Serna

Presented In Partnership with Teatro Vista Productions

March 12 - April 11, 2027

An adaptation of an ancient classic tale of revenge, sacrifice, and the high price of pursuing freedom, Mojada renders Euripides's Medea myth urgently and achingly alive in the city of Chicago.

Medea survived a treacherous journey from Mexico to the United States in search of a better life, but the promise of the American Dream is quickly unravelling. She sews exquisite garments in her backyard, suffocated by fear. Her son sheds tradition as fast as he can, trading huaraches for Vans. And her husband grows distant, seduced by ambition and proximity to power. Trapped between who she was and who America demands she become, Medea finds herself in a standoff with the very dream she risked everything to reach. 

Co-directed by Teatro Vista Productions' Artistic Director Wendy Mateo and Artistic Collective member Denise Yvette Serna, Mojada confronts the contradictions at the center of American identity: opportunity and erasure, belonging and betrayal. Both a love letter and a searing indictment, this electrifying production asks: What are we willing to sacrifice in the pursuit of liberty?

safronia

Written, composed, and scored by avery r. young

Directed by Timothy Douglas

May 14 - June 13, 2027

An extraordinary new opera from inaugural Chicago Poet Laureate avery r. young, safronia blends gospel, blues, funk, folklore, poetry, and history to tell a tale of triumph and trauma, ownership and loss. Banished from their land, the Booker family is deadset on reclaiming what's theirs and granting their patriarch's last wish. But one final reckoning remains: safronia must avenge her father's death.

safronia is an epic poem told through the vibrant music of the hundreds of thousands who journeyed to Chicago during the Great Migration—and a revelatory conclusion to the 2026/27 season. It celebrates the sonic legacy of artists like Curtis Mayfield, Nina Simone, and Oscar Brown Jr., and completely reimagines the scope of the American classical music landscape.

After mounting a concert-style performance at Lyric Opera, composer avery r. young and director Timothy Douglas bring a fully realized production to Court's intimate venue, promising an evening that shimmers, soars, and binds us in a communal American history.

safronia was workshopped and commissioned by Lyric Opera of Chicago, with its world premiere concert-style production at Lyric Opera House on April 17-18, 2026.

Subscription Information

Three and four-play subscriptions to Court's 2026/27 season range from $120 to $300 and are on sale now. Please note, seating at Rockefeller Memorial Chapel is general admission; subscribers will receive access to the preferred section. To purchase a subscription or to receive more information, call the Court Theatre Box Office at (773) 753-4472, or visit Court's website at CourtTheatre.org. Individual tickets for Tituba will go on sale September 1st. Individual tickets for all other productions will go on sale October 1st.

About the Artists

WINSOME PINNOCK (Tituba Playwright) is a recipient of the 2022 Windham-Campbell Prize. She was born in Islington, North London, and is an award-winning playwright and dramaturg. Her work has been produced on the British stage and internationally since 1985. She was the first black British female writer to have a play produced by the Royal National Theatre. Winsome was Associate Professor in Drama at Kingston University from 2005 to 2019, and was Senior Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University. She has worked as a dramaturg with the Royal National Theatre's New Views scheme as well as with the Royal Court's International Department. The prizes awarded to her work include the George Devine Award, The Pearson Plays on Stage Award and the Unity Theatre Trust Award.

GABRIELLE RANDLE-BENT (Tituba Director, Associate Artistic Director) is a mother, director, dramaturg, and scholar. Her directorial highlights include A Raisin in the Sun; Antigone; The Island; and The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice (co-directed with Charles Newell) at Court Theatre; 1919 (Steppenwolf); and The Year of Magical Thinking (Remy Bumppo). She is a co-founder of the Civic Actor Studio, a leadership program of the University of Chicago's Office of Civic Engagement. She has a BA in Drama from Stanford University, an MA in Performance as Public Practice from the University of Texas at Austin, and a PhD from Northwestern University.

DR. AVERY WILLIS HOFFMAN (Tituba Dramaturg, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director) is proud to join Court Theatre. Avery recently served as inaugural Artistic Director, Brown Arts Institute and Professor of the Practice of Arts and Classics at Brown University. Over the last two decades, she has curated multidisciplinary projects as inaugural Program Director at Park Avenue Armory, led content development for the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History, managed Avery Productions, and produced multiple artistic collaborations with director Peter Sellars. A Marshall Scholar, Avery earned a DPhil and MSt in Classical Languages and Literature from Oxford, and a BA in Classics and English from Stanford.

AUGUST WILSON (Joe Turner's Come and Gone Playwright) authored Radio Golf, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars, Fences, Two Trains Running, Jitney, King Hedley II, and Gem of the Ocean. Mr. Wilson's works garnered many awards, including Pulitzer Prizes for Fences (1987) and for The Piano Lesson (1990); a Tony Award for Fences; Great Britain's Olivier Award for Jitney; as well as seven New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars, Jitney, and Radio Golf. He was an alumnus of New Dramatists, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a 1995 inductee into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and on October 16, 2005, Broadway renamed the theatre located at 245 West 52nd Street, The August Wilson Theatre. Mr. Wilson was born and raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was posthumously inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2007.

RON OJ PARSON (Joe Turner's Come and Gone Director, Resident Artist) is Resident Artist at the Tony Award-winning Court Theatre. Credits include East Texas Hot Links, The Lion in Winter, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Two Trains Running at Court Theatre; HYMN (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Twisted Melodies (Northlight Theatre); Toni Stone (Goodman); Trouble in Mind (TimeLine Theatre); Relentless (TimeLine and Goodman); and The Reclamation of Madison Hemings (Indiana Repertory Theatre). Ron received a 3Arts Make a Wave grant in 2021, the 2022 Zelda Fichandler Award, a University of Chicago Diversity Award, many Jeff Awards and Black Theatre Alliance Awards, the LA NAACP Award for Jitney; he is a Joyce Foundation grantee, and was named Chicagoan of the Year for Theater by the Chicago Tribune. Ron is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC. www.ronojparson.net. 

LUIS ALFARO (Mojada Playwright) is a Chicano playwright, poet, and performance artist born and raised in downtown Los Angeles. He is the 2024 World Theatre Artist for Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and the recipient of the 2024 award in literature from the American Academy of Arts & Letters. He was the Associate Artistic Director of Center Theatre Group at the Music Center of Los Angeles County (2021-2022, 1995-2005), home of the Mark Taper Forum, and the Ahmanson and Kirk Douglas Theaters, where he produced over one hundred and fifty new play commissions, productions, workshops, and readings. His plays include Aztlan, Earlimart, The Travelers, Electricidad, Oedipus El Rey, Mojada, Delano, Body of Faith, Alleluia the Road, Black Butterfly, Bruja, and Straight as a Line. He was a student of the playwright Maria Irene Fornes, performance artist Scott Kelman, and a product of the Inner-City Cultural Center in downtown Los Angeles.

WENDY MATEO (Mojada Co-Director) is the Artistic Director of Teatro Vista Productions, and an actor, writer, director, and filmmaker. Mateo has been seen on stages throughout Chicago, including at Lookingglass Theatre, where she is an ensemble member. Mateo's directing credits include the play Not for Sale 2.0 by Guadalis del Carmen at UrbanTheater Company, ¡Bernarda! By Emilio Williams at Teatro Vista Productions and the upcoming world premiere of The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao at Goodman Theatre. On television and film, Mateo can be seen on Chicago Med, as Ronnie in Station Eleven, and in Steve McQueen's Widows. As a filmmaker, Wendy has written and produced three short films including the latest, Hair, written and directed by Lorena Diaz and Wendy Mateo.

DENISE YVETTE SERNA (Mojada Co-Director) is an award-winning theatre practitioner in Chicago, Illinois. Credits include productions and new play development with Teatro Vista Productions, Lyric Opera of Chicago, MCA Chicago, Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Neo-Futurists, Paramount Theatre, Bramble Theatre Company, Strawdog Theatre Company, Prop Thtr, and Global Hive Laboratories. Denise has facilitated international workshops, productions, readings, fundraisers, panels, and festivals to promote activism for racial equity, accessibility, climate justice, gender based violence, immigration, literacy, community collaboration, and collective joy. deniseyvetteserna.com.

avery r. young (safronia Playwright, Composer, and Librettist) is Chicago's inaugural Poet Laureate, American Poet Laureate Fellow, interdisciplinary artist, and a co-director of The Floating Museum. His art practice spans from the co-curation of The Chicago Architecture Biennial 5, This Is A Rehearsal, to written and performance works featured in national and international exhibitions, theater, festivals, and anthologies.  He has scored Lise Haller Baggeson's Hatorgrade Retrograde: The Musical, scoring Red Clay Dance's Rest.Restore.Nourinsh.Move.Heal, and produced two albums, booker t soltreyne: a race rekkid and tubman. The latter is the soundtrack to his volume of poetry titled, neckbone: visual verses [Northwestern].

TIMOTHY DOUGLAS's (safronia Director) credits include The Color Purple (Signature Theatre, Helen Hayes Award), She Who Dared (Chicago Opera Theater), Champion (Boston Lyric Opera), Blue (New Orleans Opera), the premiere of Something Happened in Our Town (Children's Theatre Company), Frankenstein (Classic Stage Company), and the Great Theatre of China production/tour of Disgraced. He has made productions for Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Denver Center, Downstage New Zealand, Folger Shakespeare, Guthrie Theater, Juilliard, Kennedy Center, Mark Taper Forum, Milwaukee Rep, National Theatret Norway, Portland Center Stage, Red Bull, and Steppenwolf, among many others, including Yale Rep's world premiere of August Wilson's Radio Golf. timothydouglas.org.

About Court Theatre

Winner of the 2022 Regional Theatre Tony Award, Court Theatre reimagines classic theatre to illuminate our current times. In residence at the University of Chicago and on Chicago's historic South Side, we engage our audiences with intimate and provocative experiences that inspire deeper exploration of the enduring questions that confront humanity and connect us as people.

MadKap Production’s A Streetcar Named Desire at Skokie Theatre offers a raw, riveting interpretation of Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece, immersing the audience in a world where beauty and brutality constantly collide. The production captures the oppressive heat and emotional volatility of New Orleans as Blanche DuBois arrives at her sister Stella’s modest home, clinging desperately to fading illusions while the truth she’s outrun begins to close in. Her fragile elegance crashes against the brute force of Stanley Kowalski, and the tension between them builds with an inevitability that’s both mesmerizing and terrifying. 

It’s a tension rooted not only in the room but in Blanche’s entire history. The story of a woman who stayed home to care for her parents as they died, then struggled to hold onto their home and land as medical expenses mounted and eventually forced her out into the world with “sixty‑one cents” in her purse, rings true today more than ever.

The intimacy of Skokie Theatre amplifies every emotional tremor, turning the cramped apartment setting into a pressure cooker where secrets, desires, and power struggles simmer just beneath the surface. Wonderfully directed by Wayne Mell, the staging leans into the play’s psychological depth, allowing the actors to explore the vulnerability, longing, and explosive conflict that define these characters. What emerges is a haunting, deeply felt production that honors Williams’ poetic language while making the story feel immediate and painfully human. A Streetcar Named Desire at Skokie Theatre is a resonant, beautifully acted experience that stays with you long after the final moment.

The cast delivers a richly textured, emotionally charged performance, anchored by Hailey Hance’s luminous and deeply vulnerable portrayal of Blanche DuBois. Hance navigates Blanche’s unraveling with remarkable nuance, shifting effortlessly between brittle charm, aching fragility, and flashes of desperate bravado. Elyna Mellen offers a beautifully steady counterpoint as Stella Kowalski, grounding the production with warmth and quiet strength as she’s pulled between the two people she loves most. Nathaniel Kohlmeier brings a fierce, narcissistic and unsettling magnetism to Stanley Kowalski, capturing both his brute force and the dangerous charisma that fuels every confrontation. Denis Vorobyev’s Mitch adds a welcome softness to the storm, his gentle sincerity and emotional honesty making his scenes with Blanche especially resonant.

The supporting ensemble brings texture and pulse to life in Elysian Fields, each performer adding a distinct spark to the world surrounding the Kowalskis. AJ Carchi and Wyatt DeLair charge their scenes with crisp, kinetic energy, while Neil Figuracion anchors his moments with a quiet, compelling weight. Kimmy Higginbotham and Dee Dee Logan offer nuanced, emotionally attuned work that enriches the production’s blend of tenderness, tension, and volatility. Together, the ensemble shapes a world that feels immediate and deeply human - a living, breathing testament to the enduring force of Williams’ drama.

Ultimately, MadKap’s A Streetcar Named Desire at Skokie Theatre stands as a vivid, emotionally resonant interpretation of Williams’ classic - one that feels both faithful to the text and urgently alive. The production’s intimate scale, paired with a cast willing to dig deep into the play’s bruised hearts and volatile tensions, creates an experience that lingers long after the final scene.

A Streetcar Named Desire runs through April 26th, and it’s a compelling, beautifully crafted revival well worth experiencing before the run comes to a close.

Highly Recommended.

For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Since its original 2020 Off-Broadway debut was postponed until 2024 by the Covid-19 Pandemic, Itamar Moses’ “The Ally” has likely ripened in its effectiveness. Not because the play has changed, but because the world has.

A 2025 Pulitzer finalist, now in its Midwest premier at Theater Wit, it revolves around the ambivalence of Jewish college writing professor Asaf (Jordan Lane Shappell in a sterling performance) as his Black student Baron (DeVaughn Asante Loman) asks him to sign-on to a manifesto decrying the killing of his cousin by campus police.

Initially sympathetic to this cause, Asaf becomes reluctant to sign on, even though he agrees with its indictment of systemic injustice against people of color. His sticking points? A section ties in charges against Israel for operating an apartheid state vis a vis Gaza, condemning what it describes as policies of genocide against Palestinian people—even more timely topics today given current political discourse and a war in Iran.

Through a fast-paced dialog, the playwright puts on stage detailed explications of points of view that are known to trigger family battles during holiday dinners, or have become verboten altogether in the interests of peaceful coexistence. There seems nowhere safe to listen to opposing positions.

But not so on the stage in “The Ally.” Expertly directed by Jeremy Weschler, who has led a stellar cast to precision delivery with impeccable timing, this production is remarkable simply on the basis of how well rehearsed the performers seem to be in a complicated, granular script.

In publicizing the play, Weschler says, "Before October 7th, I — like a lot of American Jews on the left — held two ideas at once: that Israel was a haven and that the occupation was wrong. Itamar Moses saw, honestly before I did, that those two ideas were becoming impossible to hold simultaneously. But there are always two ways to answer the question ‘What do I believe?': what do I think, and what do I feel? Where we land on that spectrum is a constant negotiation between ourselves and the world around us. What ‘The Ally’ asks — what it really demands — is that we face that negotiation honestly. Can we be good people when our hearts and our heads aren't aligned?”

In the main setting, a library meeting room, impassioned, invested characters put forth their positions. Most have direct experience of that about which they speak. This is both enthralling and compelling, emotionally engaging at the peak moments, as we hear them passionately expounded their positions. Each felt equally compelling, even though they are often diametrically opposed.

Moses is a skillful playwright. He has wrapped the political discourse in a romantic drama, the relationship between Asaf and his wife Gwen (K Chinthana Sotakoun), a faculty member who is of Asian descent. The play opens with a skillful rendering of a couple tentatively probing and challenging each other in a very realistic way.

That scene changes from the living room to campus. Having heard from Baron, and as Asaf tussles with signing the manifesto, the playwright ups the stakes. Palestinian student Farid, (Arman Ghaeini) and his “ally” (a recurring theme) Jewish student Rachel (Mira Kessler), ask Asaf to support the appearance of a noted speaker who questions Israel’s actions in Gaza. Asaf agrees to be their student group sponsor authorizing the speaker.

When Reuven (Evan Ozer) a Jewish PhD student, discovers this, he barges in on Asaf to lay out all the reasons this speaker should not be allowed to address the student body. While Israel may seem brutal at home, he contends, one must think of it in context: Israel is surrounded by middle eastern states that oppose its very existence. Any presentation that might undermine Israel’s welfare should be banned.

Moses’s script is designed to give each of the characters a long moment in the spotlight. For relief he reverts to scenes between Asaf and Gwen. Each of the characters is articulate and brilliant. When Reuven makes his case for Israel, for example, he also recounts accurately the arguments of its opposition as he dispels them.

Most intriguing, and emotionally compelling, is Farid. In his first few appearances he is reticent, retreating, polite. But when the playwright offers him his featured monolog, Farid expresses the suffering of Palestinians, and then, moves to a vehement display of their anger. Arman Ghaeini runs away with this scene, engendering from me empathy and even catharsis. When have I heard this expressed? Never before.

Likewise for Baron, who is generally rather laconic. As the debates on stage progress over the connections between the Israel-Palestinian conflict and racial injustice in the U.S., Baron has his moment for a passionate peroration, and Loman's delivery is powerful.

Throughout, Asaf remains the buffeted everyman, conscious of the warring sympathies within himself, and unable to resolve them. The play has some weaknesses as a drama—an old flame now community activist Nikea (Sharyon Culberson) appears, igniting jealousy in Gwen. But as an expression of the struggle we experience societally, through the vehicle of the conflicted Asaf—that weakness doesn’t hamper the impact and value of “The Ally.”

It is worth noting “The Ally” was written before the Hamas strike against Israel in October 2023. That event killed 1,200 and saw 251 taken hostage. In its subsequent defense, Israel has retaliated and sought to destroy Hamas, killing 73,000 Palestinians and isolating Gaza. Also noteworthy: this Chicago production is only the second staging of the work. Perhaps its incendiary subject makes producers skittish.

But “The Ally” has a heightened immediacy today, and should be seen. Highly recommended, “The Ally” runs through May 2, 2026 at Theater Wit in Chicago.

Extended through May 17th!

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Get ready for a summer of laughs as Steppenwolf Theatre Company welcomes award-winning performers Laura Benanti and Alex Edelman for two limited comedy engagements.

First up, direct from an acclaimed run at Edinburgh Fringe and two sold-out Off-Broadway runs comes Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, a one-woman comedy show from the mind of Tony Award winner Laura Benanti, playing five performances August 6 – 9, 2026. Known for her dazzling Broadway performances and razor-sharp wit, Benanti takes the stage to share her hilarious, heartfelt and sometimes brutally honest take on motherhood, people pleasing and the joys of aging as a woman. Blending side-splitting storytelling with original songs, this New York Times Critic's Pick is a love letter to recovering ingénues, mothers and anybody working on themselves. Based on Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, an Audible Original, Nobody Cares is created by Laura Benanti with songs co-written by Todd Almond and direction by Annie Tippe. The Steppenwolf presentation marks the first stop on a national tour for the project following a summer run at London's Underbelly Soho this July, with further stops to be announced.

Up next, following a critically-acclaimed, sell-out run of Just For Us at Steppenwolf and around the globe, Tony and Emmy Award-winning comedian Alex Edelman returns with another hilarious and thought-provoking dissection of identity: What Are You Going to Do, playing five performances August 12 – 16, 2026. This all-new show finds the Bostonian sweetheart asking different and more unsettling questions. Primarily, should he spend his time doing something else? Should he be saving lives like his physician father? Should he be trying to return to the sense of community he experienced growing up among Israelis and Palestinians? In a show that reckons with the effects of time spent in trauma, Edelman deftly weaves in and out of examinations of faith broadly—not just Judaism—and wonders if, perhaps, there might be better things out there for him.

Both shows will be presented in Steppenwolf's Downstairs Theater, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago. A special Steppenwolf member pre-sale begins Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 12 pm. Tickets for both shows go on sale to the general public on Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 12 pm at steppenwolf.org or by calling the Box Office at (312) 335-1650.

Performance Schedules and Ticket Prices

Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares
Dates: Thursday, August 6 – Sunday, August 9, 2026
Performance Times: Thursday & Friday at 7:30 pm; Saturday at 3 pm & 7:30 pm; Sunday at 3:30 pm
Ticket Prices: $79 – $125 (includes $10 processing fees)

Alex Edelman: What Are You Going To Do
Dates: Wednesday, August 12 – Sunday, August 16, 2026
Times: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 7:30 pm, Sunday at 3 pm
Ticket Prices: $49 – $84 (includes $10 processing fees)

Artist Biographies

Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares

Laura Benanti (Star and Creator):

"The divine Laura Benanti appears to have reached a point where there's nothing she can't do..."
–Hollywood Reporter

Tony Award winner Laura Benanti is a highly celebrated stage and screen actress. Ms. Benanti debuted her critically acclaimed comedy show Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares at the Minetta Lane Theater in NYC. Ms. Benanti created, wrote (songs co-written with Todd Almond) and starred in the show, which earned rave reviews and was chosen as a New York Times Critics' Pick. The show then had a sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2025 with encore performances in London and Berkeley. 

Ms. Benanti can currently be seen as a series regular in the role of 'Cindy' on the acclaimed Paramount+ series Mayor of Kingstown, starring opposite Jeremy Renner. Ms. Benanti co-starred in the hit comedic film No Hard Feelings with Jennifer Lawrence and Matthew Broderick. Ms. Benanti's iconic impression of Melania Trump on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has earned praise from across the industry. Other comedic work includes regular appearances on Elsbeth and Inside Amy Schumer. In television, Ms. Benanti has played dynamic characters in Younger, The Gilded Age, Nashville, Supergirl and Gossip Girl. Ms. Benanti earned rave reviews for her portrayal of a grieving widow in Netflix's film Worth, starring opposite Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan.

In the theater, Ms. Benanti has been nominated for 5 Tony Awards. She took Broadway by storm at the age of 18 as Maria in The Sound of Music and has subsequently starred in ten more Broadway shows (musicals, straight plays, comedies and dramas), including Into the Woods, Nine, (opposite Antonio Banderas), Gypsy (for which she won a Tony Award), She Loves Me, My Fair Lady and Steve Martin's Meteor Shower opposite Amy Schumer and Keegan-Michael Key.

Todd Almond (Songs Co-Writer) is an acclaimed performer, songwriter and playwright. His solo show I'm Almost There was hailed by The New York Times as "a work of wonder," and his recent Broadway performance in Girl from the North Country was praised as "stunning" by The Washington Post and "roof-raising, uplifting, and invigorating" by The Hollywood Reporter. Almond co-wrote the songs for and music-directed Audible's hit comedy Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, and also appeared opposite Ms. Benanti as Gideon Wolfe in the HBO Max reboot of Gossip Girl. His musical adaptation of The Odyssey, produced at Shakespeare in the Park's Delacorte Theater in Central Park, was hailed by The New York Times as "brash, funny and heart-stirring." Todd recently toured the U.S. in his original musical Kansas City Choir Boy, co-starring rock icon Courtney Love; Rolling Stone called the piece "awesome, slyly punk rock." He also starred in three of his original musicals at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park: The Tempest, The Winter's Tale and The Odyssey. His musical Girlfriend, based on the Matthew Sweet album of the same title, has become a perennial favorite for theater companies across the U.S. and in Japan. His past collaborators include Sarah Ruhl (Melancholy Play: A Chamber Musical), Jenny Schwartz (Iowa), Laura Benanti (In Constant Search for the Right Kind of Attention), Sherie Rene Scott (Piece of Meat), Kelli O'Hara (Live at Carnegie Hall) and Andrew Rannells (Live from Lincoln Center). As a composer and orchestrator, Almond has written and arranged music for Noises Off on Broadway, Iowa at Playwrights Horizons, Fcking A* at Signature Theatre, How to Transcend a Happy Marriage at Lincoln Center Theater and the film adaptation of Michael John LaChiusa's Hello Again. Other New York acting credits include Stage Kiss by Sarah Ruhl at Playwrights Horizons, People Are Wrong at the Vineyard and Law & Order: SVU.

Annie Tippe (Director) is an award-winning director and creator of new work, music theater and film. Off-Broadway: Octet (World Premiere; Signature. Lortel Award: Best Direction, Best Musical), Three Houses (World Premiere; Signature. Lortel Award: Best Musical), Ghost Quartet (World Premiere; Bushwick Starr. Norton Award: Best Visiting Production), Magnificent Bird / Book of Travelers (Playwrights Horizons), Your Own Personal Exegesis (LCT). Regional: HUZZAH! (World Premiere; Old Globe), Life After (Ed Mirvish CAA; Goodman, Jeff Award Nom), COWBOY BOB (World Premiere; Alley), Cult of Love (World Premiere; IAMA), POTUS (Berkeley Rep). Film: Help Me Mary (Lower East Side Film Fest; Best Narrative Short), Egg Timer (Austin Film Fest). Former Ars Nova Director-in-Residence, Drama League Directing Fellow, Williamstown Directing Corps. Upcoming: Cyrano at Old Globe; Babysitters Club with Mark Sonnenblick and Kate Weatherhead. annietippe.com

Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares is presented in association with rigor + ruckus, Jenny Gersten and Ashley Melone & Nick Mills with LD Entertainment, Avadon Broadway LLC & Creative Partners Productions. To learn more about other cities to see Nobody Cares, visit nobodycaresplay.com.

Alex Edelman: What Are You Going To Do

One of the most critically hailed comedians of his generation, Alex Edelman is best known for solo shows that blur the line between his stand-up comedy roots and narrative-driven storytelling. His last offering, Just For Us, played more than 500 performances all over the world - including acclaimed runs off- and on-Broadway. It premiered as an HBO original comedy special in April of 2024, earning him a place on the Time 100 list, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award for Best Writing for a Variety Special. Edelman appeared in Jerry Seinfeld's directorial debut for Netflix, Unfrosted. Beyond stand-up, he writes regularly for TV and can be seen starring in Peacock's The Paper, a Greg Daniels-helmed spiritual successor to The Office. He also writes on the show as a Consulting Producer. 

Accessibility:

Steppenwolf is committed to making the theatergoing experience accessible to everyone. Assistive listening devices are available for every performance and all our spaces are equipped with an induction hearing loop. Our building features wheelchair accessible seating and restrooms, push-button entrances, a courtesy wheelchair and all-gender restrooms, with accessible counter and table spaces at our bars. For additional information regarding accessibility, visit steppenwolf.org/access. If you have questions or would like to make a specific request, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call our box office at (312) 335-1650.

Sponsor Information: 

United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from lead sponsors Allstate Insurance Company, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Crown Family Philanthropies, Caroline and Keating Crown, Julius Frankel Foundation, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Northern Trust, Anne and Don Phillips, John Hart and Carol Prins, Shubert Foundation, Inc, Walder Foundation, and Zell Family Foundation. Steppenwolf also acknowledges generous support from premier sponsors Anonymous, Andrew and Amy Bluhm, Michael and Cathy Brennan, Ann and Richard Carr, Chicago Community Trust, Conagra Brands Foundation, Rich and Margery Feitler, FROST CHICAGO, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Orlebeke Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Sacks Family Foundation, Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Thoma Bravo, Bryan Traubert and Penny Pritzker, and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

About Steppenwolf Theatre Company:

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is the nation's premier Ensemble Theater with 50 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Thrilling, powerful, groundbreaking productions have made this theatre legendary. From the 1980 phenomenon of Balm in Gilead, to The Grapes of Wrath, August: Osage County, Downstate, The Brother/Sister Plays, and now, the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Purpose, Steppenwolf Theatre has had a long-running and undeniable impact on American Theatre and Chicago's cultural landscape. Founded in 1975 by Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry and Gary Sinise, Steppenwolf started as a group of young people in their teens and early 20s performing in the basement of a church. Today, the company's artistic force remains rooted in the original vision of its founders: an artist-driven theatre, whose vitality is defined by its appetite for bold and innovative work. Every aspect of Steppenwolf is rooted in its Ensemble ethos, from the intergenerational artistic programming to the multi-genre performance series LookOut, to the nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education and Engagement which serves nearly 15,000 teens annually. While grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. Steppenwolf also holds accolades that include the National Medal of Arts, 14 Tony Awards, two Pulitzer Prize-winning commissions and more. Led by Artistic Directors Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis, Executive Director E. Brooke Flanagan and Board of Trustees Chair Keating Crown — Steppenwolf continually redefines the boundaries of live theater and pushes the limits of acting and performance.

Steppenwolf's Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.

Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce that single tickets for the first national tour of SUFFS, the acclaimed Tony Award®-winning  musical about the passionate American women who fought tirelessly for the right to vote, will go on sale Monday, March 30. The inspiring, award-winning musical will play Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.) for a limited two-week engagement, July 7-19.

Created by Shaina Taub, the first woman to ever independently win Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score in the same season, this “thrilling, inspiring and dazzlingly entertaining” (Variety) new musical boldly explores the triumphs and failures of a struggle for equality that’s far from over. It’s a given that the women of the suffragist movement—who called themselves “Suffs” for short—were brilliant, but as they fought tirelessly for the right to vote, they were also flawed, stubborn, passionate and funny. SUFFS tells their story: the remarkable friendships, the heartbreak, and how this movement brought them together—or, in some cases, tore them apart.

SUFFS is winner of the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Musical, two Drama Desk Awards including Best Score, and is “unquestionably the most emotionally stirring musical of the season” (Chicago Tribune). The successful Broadway production played a 10-month run at the Music Box Theatre from April 18, 2024, through January 5, 2025, and the first national tour marches across North America, after launching this past September in Seattle, WA.
 

“THRILLING, INSPIRING, AND DAZZLINGLY ENTERTAINING.” – Variety

SUFFS features book, music and lyrics by Tony Award®-winner Shaina Taub, direction by Tony Award-nominee Leigh Silverman (Violet, Yellow Face), choreography by Mayte Natalio (How to Dance in Ohio), music supervision by Andrea Grody, scenic design by Christine Peters, original Broadway scenic design by Tony Award-nominee Riccardo Hernández (Jagged Little Pill), costume design by Oscar and Tony Award-winner Paul Tazewell (Hamilton, Death Becomes Her), lighting design by Tony Award-nominee Lap Chi Chu (Camelot ), hair and wig design by award-winning Charles G. Lapointe, makeup design by Joe Dulude II, sound design by Jason Crystal (Sweeney Todd) with associate Sun Hee Kil (Choir Boy), orchestrations by Tony Award-winner Michael Starobin (Next to Normal), vocal arrangements by Shaina Taub and Andrea Grody (The Band’s Visit), incidental music arrangements by Shaina Taub, Andrea Grody, and Michael Starobin, associate direction by Lori Elizabeth Parquet, associate choreography by Hawley Gould, and general management by 101 Productions, Ltd.

The Grammy-Award nominated Original Cast Recording of SUFFS is available from Atlantic Records here.

For information about SUFFS visit suffsmusical.com. Follow on Instagram, TikTok , X , YouTube, and Facebook @SUFFSMusical

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, July 7 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 8 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 9 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 10 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 11 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 12 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 14 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 15 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 16 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, July 17 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 18 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 19 – 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION (as of March 26, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for SUFFS will go on sale on Monday, March 30 and range from $38.00 - $133.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Ticket price listed is when purchased in person at the box office. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
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El último sueño de Frida y Diego is a love story that outlives the body, outlasts the grave, and keeps burning long after death has done its part.

Frida Kahlo famously said, ‘I’ve had two accidents that changed my life: one when I was hit by a trolley, and the other when I fell in love with Diego Rivera.”

And thus opens the first act of this beautiful dedication to the brilliant fiery artist, so far ahead of her time, the astonishing and disabled Frida Kahlo.

Composed by Gabriela Lena Frank with a libretto by Nilo Cruz, El último sueño de Frida y Diego arrives like a heat‑haze hallucination - lush, uncanny, and thrumming with a love that refuses to stay in the ground. It’s 1957, Día de los Muertos, and the opera drops us into a marigold‑drenched cemetery where the living coax their dead back for one brief visit. Diego Rivera, worn thin by grief and a stalled brush, isn’t there for tradition; he’s there to beg the universe for one more moment with Frida. His plea slices through the veil, catching the ear of an unassuming flower seller who promptly sheds her disguise to reveal Catrina, the regal, razor‑sharp Keeper of the Dead - and the only force powerful enough to answer him.

Deep in the shadowed sweep of Mictlán, Frida pushes back against the summons with the same fierce spark that once lit every brushstroke. Death has finally granted her the relief life never did - no shattered spine, no emotional whiplash, no Diego-shaped storm at her heels - and she has zero interest in reopening the wounds she fought so hard to leave behind.

“So much pain!” she cries again and again, swearing at the start of the production that she will never return to the world of the living - or to her love, Rivera - because of it.

But the underworld is anything but still - teeming with spirits who are playful, meddling, and aching for their own brief return. Among them is Leonardo, a young actor whose flair for drama and easy artistic kinship start to chip away at Frida’s resolve. As Catrina assembles the souls cleared for their 24‑hour crossing, Frida reluctantly lets herself be wrapped once more in the hues, textures, and contradictions of her earthly self. Bound by strict rules - no touching the living, no overstaying the day - she steps toward the world she swore off, setting the stage for a reunion as volatile as it is inevitable.

But she is urged by those on both sides of the afterlife to visit with Diego because spirits on both sides of the veil are ALSO missing her presence, her vibrant, dynamic and powerful personality and essence in a dark landscape of blacks and greys. Rivera and her family and friends on both sides of the veil would give anything to have her back with them to color and ignite their universe - even if only for a day.

And although Frida really does want to see Diego again, she is stopped by the memory of the torment she suffered emotionally in his arms and even more so the pain she suffered in her body from the horrific trolley accident that crippled her.

Ana Maria Martinez as Catrina, Alfredo Daza as Diego and Daniela Mack as Frida. 

Many times in the show, Frida sings about her extreme unrelenting physical pain. Kahlo’s paintings - often filled with blood, surgical imagery, and unfiltered grief - also gave voice to the extreme physical agony she endured throughout her chronically ill life. Frida endured surgery after surgery, yet none brought the relief she so desperately needed.

In the end, she chooses to return for her art - to see the colors again, the radiant “colors” she sings of in her paintings and in her lovingly adorned home. Kahlo also descends back into her pain‑ridden earthly body to answer Rivera’s desperate daily pleas - his prayers to her and to God to return and save him from a life emptied of inspiration, a life made unbearably lonely without her.

Kahlo and Diego had a tumultuous relationship marked by marital affairs on both sides, though Diego’s affair with Frida’s own sister caused their divorce. But their love was eternal and they remarried, and we’re together until Frida’s death 10 years later.

This production makes clear that although Diego Rivera was the more famous artist in their lifetime - the towering figure whose reputation often eclipsed Frida Kahlo’s - he relied on her completely, both for artistic inspiration and for the very shape of his life. Rivera even said that his greatest wish was to have his ashes buried with hers.

Finally, a production that honors a female artist not only for her public achievements but for her full humanity - one that is unabashedly in love with Frida herself, not just her legacy.

One of the production’s loveliest moments is a tableau where Kahlo’s most famous paintings step off the canvas and onto the stage. I only found myself wishing for projections - of the actors in their vivid recreations or of the paintings themselves - because the costumes and scenic artistry were so intricate and stunning that not everyone in the house could fully take them in. By then, the audience was aching to see her art come alive.

The company of El último sueño de Frida y Diego.

El último sueño de Frida y Diego is currently running at Lyric Opera House, performed entirely in Spanish with the full vocal score intact. English captions are projected overhead throughout, making the story and its emotional undercurrents easy to follow even if you don’t speak the language.

Directed by Lorena Maza with Roberto Kalb conducting, Lyric’s production fields a powerhouse ensemble, led by mezzo‑soprano Daniela Mack, who returns to the house with a Frida that’s all fire, fragility, and fiercely guarded autonomy. Opposite her, baritone Alfredo Daza makes a striking Lyric debut as Diego - his voice carrying the weight of a man haunted by the art he can’t finish and the woman he can’t release. Countertenor Key’mon W. Murrah, in a radiant Lyric debut, infuses Leonardo with a buoyant theatrical spark that lifts the energy of every scene entered. Meanwhile, Ana María Martínez turns Catrina into a study in imperious grace - her soprano gliding through the score with the kind of effortless authority that makes the boundary between worlds feel like something she can open and close at will.

Musically, the evening’s standout moments come through sweeping duets and emotionally charged arias - Frida’s defiant refusals, Diego’s grief‑soaked pleas, and shimmering ensemble passages that blur the line between the living and the dead. Gabriela Lena Frank’s score leans into lush orchestral colors, letting voices ride waves of percussion, strings, and folkloric textures that feel both ancient and startlingly alive, while the live orchestra - under Roberto Kalb’s precise, fiery baton - does far more than accompany, animating the realm around the singers and giving Mictlán its pulse, the cemetery its glow, and the lovers’ reunion its aching gravity.

Visually, El último sueño de Frida y Diego is a sensory feast - an opera that doesn’t just tell a story but paints one stroke by stroke right in front of you. The stage erupts in the saturated hues of Mexican folklore: cascades of marigolds, candlelit altars, and sweeping bands of cobalt and crimson that echo Rivera’s murals and the raw intimacy of Frida’s self‑portraits. The opening cemetery glows like a living ofrenda, its petals and lanterns shimmering in a soft, uncanny haze that makes the border between worlds feel thin, permeable, almost eager to be crossed.

Once the action plunges into Mictlán, the production morphs into a surreal, shadow‑rich dreamscape - floating fabrics drifting like lost souls or the hem of a woman’s skirt lifted by the wind, skeletal silhouettes stalking the edges of the frame, and sculptural lighting carving the darkness into something at once playful and faintly menacing. Spirits flash in and out like animated brushstrokes, their movement and costuming turning the underworld into a kinetic mural of the afterlife. And when Frida finally steps back into her earthly colors, the entire stage snaps into focus as a living canvas - bold, mythic, and charged with the emotional current of two artists whose love refuses to stay still.

El último sueño de Frida y Diego is being performed at Lyric Opera House through April 4^th. For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

Highly Recommended. 

Upcoming Performances:

March

• Mar 21 • 7:30 p.m.
• Mar 24 • 7:00 p.m.
• Mar 26 • 7:00 p.m.
• Mar 29 • 2:00 p.m.

April

• Apr 1 • 2:00 p.m.
• Apr 4 • 2:00 p.m.

Running Time: Approx. 2h 15m (one intermission)

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com.