Reeger & Scrofano-Led THE GIN GAME, ROCK OF AGES and More Set for Drury Lane Theatre's 2017-2018 Season

Drury Lane Theatre has announced the complete lineup of its 2017/2018 season, opening with Chicago, having attained the exclusive rights to revitalize the sensational mega-hit with home town authenticity.

The season continues with the Pulitzer-winning play The Gin Game featuring Chicago theatre legends John Reeger and Paula Scrofano, followed by the powerhouse musical tribute to the 1980s, Rock of Ages in its regional premiere.

For the holiday season, Drury Lane will stage the treasured tap favorite 42nd Street and then close its 17/18 season with the iconic Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

The 2017/2018 season runs March 30, 2017 through March 25, 2018 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.

"From the electrifying Chicago to the spectacular Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, we're assembling a team of visionary artists from across the country to bring each show of our 2017/2018 season to life in a brand new way," comments Kyle DeSantis, President of Drury Lane Productions. "In true Drury Lane style, audiences will get the chance to experience shows they know and love like never before thanks to our commitment to working with some of the top talent in the world."

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The complete Drury Lane Theatre 2017/2018 Season is as follows:

Chicago

Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse

Music by John Kander

Lyrics by Fred Ebb

Based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins

March 30 - June 11, 2017

Press Opening: April 6, 2017

We open our 2017/2018 season with an explosive new production of the legendary musical Chicago. Filled with fame, fortune, and all that jazz, this edge-of-your seat story features one showstopper after another. Join Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly and all of Cook County Jail's murderess vixens for the sultry "Cell Block Tango," learn what happens "When You're Good to Mama," and watch Billy Flynn work his magic recalling how "We Both Reached For the Gun." Drury Lane Theatre's Artistic Director William Osetek and choreographer Jane Lanier, the Tony-nominated student of Bob Fosse, give a nod to the iconic Fosse flavor in this fiery new take on Chicago.

Chicago is recommended for ages 13 and up.

The Gin Game

Book by D.L. Coburn

Starring John Reeger and Paula Scrofano

June 22 - August 22, 2017

Press Opening: June 29, 2017

Winner of the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and nominated for four Tony Awards, The Gin Game symbolizes life in the form of a card game in a two-act, two-character play starring Chicago theater legends, John Reeger and Paula Scrofano. In The Gin Game, Weller Martin and Fonsia Dorsey strike up an acquaintance and begin to play gin rummy. As the game progresses, intimate secrets of their lives are revealed and they begin to search for each other's weaknesses in both the game and life itself. With this production, John and Paula join an elite history of famous duos who have previously battled in The Gin Game, including original stars Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy (the 1977 Broadway production and 1981 TV movie), Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore (the 2003 PBS television special), and James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson (the 2015 Broadway Revival). Chicago's own Robbie Lehman directs the renowned acting couple.

The Gin Game is recommended for ages 13 and up.

The Regional Premiere of

Rock of Ages

Book by Chris D'Arienzo

Arrangements and Orchestrations by Ethan Popp

August 24 - October 15, 2017

Press Opening: September 7, 2017

We can't fight this feelin' anymore! Rock back to a time of big egos, big guitar solos, and even bigger hair with Rock of Ages. Nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Rock of Ages features 28 classic 80s hits from legendary artists Bon Jovi, Journey, Styx, Pat Benatar, Poison, REO Speedwagon and more. Audiences will have "Nothin' but a Good Time" as they jam out to reimagined renditions and mash-ups of "Don't Stop Believin,'" "Here I Go Again," "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," "The Final Countdown," and other rock favorites in this Regional Premiere. Set during the tail end of the big, bad 1980s, Rock of Ages follows aspiring rock star Drew and small-town girl Sherri as they fight to save Hollywood's Sunset Strip. Don't miss a musical so awesome, you'll want to rock out again and again! Scott Weinstein, 2015 Joseph Jefferson Award winner for production and direction of his astonishing staging of RENT, directs Rock of Ages.

Rock of Ages is recommended for ages 13 and up.

42nd Street

Music by Harry Warren

Lyrics by Al Dubin

Book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble

Based on the Novel by Bradford Ropes

Original Direction and Dances by Gower Champion

Originally Produced on Broadway by David Merrick

October 26 - December 21, 2017

Press Opening: November 2, 2017

Tap through this year's holiday season with the 1980 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, 42nd Street! In this Broadway favorite, aspiring chorus girl Peggy Sawyer lands a bigger break in New York City than expected. When the leading lady injures her ankle, Peggy gets the chance of a lifetime to rise from showgirl to star of a glitzy new Broadway musical. With show stopping tap numbers and unforgettable hits such as "We're In The Money," "Lullaby of Broadway," and "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," Warm your Chicago winter with 42ND Street - a love letter to the Great White Way. The creative team and cast for 42nd Street will be announced at a later date.

42nd Street is suitable for all audiences but most enjoyable for ages 5 and up.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics by Tim Rice

January 18 - March 25, 2018

Press Opening: January 25, 2018

Drury Lane concludes its season with the irresistible Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The saga of Israel's favorite son Joseph and his coat of many colors bursts to vibrant life with exuberant music spanning multiple styles from calypso to rock 'n' roll. Follow dreamer Joseph's tumultuous ascent to the top in this timeless tale of courage, destiny and hope. Audiences of all ages will enjoy this delightful musical parable featuring catchy hits like "Go, Go, Go Joseph," "Jacob and Sons," "Close Every Door," and "Any Dream Will Do." Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be directed by Alan Souza, who also reimagined the classic story of Lancelot for Drury Lane's critically-acclaimed Camelot in 2014.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is recommended for audiences ages 5 and up.

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Subscriptions for the 2017/2018 Season are priced from $145 to $175 and will be on sale beginning in January 2017. Subscribers receive special offers on dining, flexible ticket exchanges and early notification and priority seating for added events and concerts. For more information, visit DruryLaneTheatre.com.

The performance schedule for all productions is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Student group tickets start as low as $30 and Senior Citizens start at $37 for matinees. Dinner and show packages are also available. For individual ticket on-sale dates and ticket reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, TicketMaster at 800.745.3000 or visit DruryLaneTheatre.com.

Under the leadership of President Kyle DeSantis and Artistic Director William Osetek, Drury Lane Theatre is a major force in the Chicagoland theatre scene, presenting world-class productions in collaboration with some of the nation's leading actors, artists, writers and directors. Over the past 30 years, Drury Lane has staged more than 2,000 productions and has been nominated for more than 350 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Drury Lane is committed to breathing new life into beloved classics and introducing audiences to exciting new works.

Throughout its 30-year history, Drury Lane has employed more than 7,500 actors and 10,000 musicians, designers and technicians to entertain upwards of nine million audience members. Originally founded by Anthony DeSantis, Drury Lane Theatre remains a family-run organization known for producing breathtaking Broadway classics, top-rated musicals, bold new works, hilarious comedies and unforgettable concert events.