Chicago Shakespeare Theater News

Berkeley Repertory Theatre proudly welcomes MacArthur "Genius" Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney for the West Coast premiere of Head of Passes, a poignant and poetic story about the journey of family and faith, trial and tribulation. In a dilapidated house near the ever-shifting mouth of the Mississippi, Shelah's family gathers on a stormy night for her birthday -- bringing ghosts and secrets of the past with them. As her roof buckles under the weight of the rain, Shelah's convictions begin to wash away, leaving her to excavate the truths buried below. Directed by Tina Landau, the riveting Head of Passes comes to the Bay Area straight from its critically lauded world premiere in Chicago. Head of Passes is a co-production with the Public Theater in New York. It begins previews on Berkeley Rep's intimate Thrust Stage on Friday, April 10, opens on Friday, April 17, and runs through Sunday, May 24, 2015. Press night for Head of Passes will be held on Friday, April 17, 2015.

This season's mainstage production, John Ford's 'Tis Pity She's A Whore, directed by Red Bull Artistic Director Jesse Berger, will begin a limited Off-Broadway engagement April 14th at The Duke on 42nd Street. Opening Night is set for Sunday April 26th. Performances continue through May 16th.

Artistic Director Bryan Renaud is proud to announce the launch of Random Acts Theatre Company and its debut production of All Our Twilight, a world premiere written by Renaud and Emily Schmidt. The musical parody, directed by Renaud, will play at the Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N Milwaukee Ave, tonight, March 7th, 14th, 22nd, 29th all at 7:00PM.

Tonight, March 6, noted arranger Fred Barton will bring the music of Broadway and the American Songbook showmanship to the Schimmel Center at Pace University in American Showstoppers: An Evening of Irving Berlin.

Arden Theatre Company continues its 27th season of great stories with Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Alexander Burns directs. Macbeth runs from tonight, March 5, 2015 - April 19, 2015, on the Arden's F. Otto Haas Stage at 40 N. 2nd Street in Philadelphia.

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber present the next production in the second season of Chicago's hit 'lost' musicals in staged concert series, Porchlight Revisits... City of Angels, featuring book by Larry Gelbart (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, M*A*S*H), music by Cy Coleman (Sweet Charity, Barnum) and lyrics by David Zippel (The Goodbye Girl, Disney's Mulan) with direction by Christopher Pazdernik and music direction by Aaron Benham. City of Angels is presented for two-nights-only tonight, March 3 and Wednesday, March 4 at 8:00 p.m. and is performed on the set of Porchlight's Sondheim on Sondheim (February 6 - March 15) on nights when there are no performances at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.

Considered one of the Midwest's leading, professional equity theaters that presents both regional and world premieres featuring the area's finest artists, Theatre at the Center kicks off its 25th Anniversary 2015 season with the beloved classic, Ernest Thompson's ON GOLDEN POND. The touching, funny, and warmly insightful story, which went from a Tony Award-winning play on Broadway to an Oscar winning film starring Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda, runs now through March 29, with a press opening on Sunday, March 1. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!

Signal Ensemble Theatre presents the United States premiere of Red Bud by Brett Neveu and directed by Brant Russell at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., January 22 - February 28.

Considered one of the Midwest's leading, professional equity theaters that presents both regional and world premieres featuring the area's finest artists, Theatre at the Center kicks off its 25th Anniversary 2015 season with the beloved classic, Ernest Thompson's ON GOLDEN POND. BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the show below!

Considered one of the Midwest's leading, professional equity theaters that presents both regional and world premieres featuring the area's finest artists, Theatre at the Center kicks off its 25th Anniversary 2015 season with the beloved classic, Ernest Thompson's ON GOLDEN POND.

The Old Globe is delighted to welcome one of the true geniuses of the American theatre, Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman, who makes her long-awaited San Diego directing debut with an enchanting theatrical spectacle with live music and sumptuous visuals, The White Snake, continuing the Globe's 80th Anniversary festivities as part of the Balboa Park Centennial Celebration. The Southern California Premiere of The White Snake, written and directed by Zimmerman, will run March 21 through April 26 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run March 21 through 25. Opening night is Thursday, March 26 at 8:00 p.m.

The Hypocrites are thrilled to launch their 2015-16 season this fall with the Chicago premiere of the smash Broadway musical AMERICAN IDIOT, featuring music by Grammy Award-winning punk rock band Green Day.

Ana Gasteyer is best known for her incomparable work on "Saturday Night Live." During her six year stint, she created some of the most famous SNL characters including middle school music teacher Bobbie Moughan-Culp, NPR radio host Margaret Jo, Lilith Fair poetess Cinder Calhoun, as well as spot-on impressions of Martha Stewart, Celine Dion and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Artistic Director Bryan Renaud is proud to announce the launch of Random Acts Theatre Company and its debut production of All Our Twilight, a world premiere written by Renaud and Emily Schmidt. The musical parody, directed by Renaud, will play at the Gorilla Tango Theatre, 1919 N Milwaukee Ave, March 7th, 14th, 22nd, 29th all at 7:00PM.

The course of love definitely does NOT run smooth when William Shakespeare's family-friendly comedy 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' plays on the Clarence Brown Theatre Mainstage tonight, February 19 through March 8, 2015. An Open Captioned performance will take place on Sunday, February 22 at 2:00 pm.

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and Women's Project Theater will present the world premiere of The Undeniable Sound of Right Now, written by Laura Eason (S e x with Strangers,'House of Cards') and directed by Kirsten Kelly (Slipping), beginning Thursday, March 19 at 7pm at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, 224 Waverly Place, west of Seventh Avenue South. Opening night is set for Thursday, April 2 at 7pm. The production is set to run through Saturday, May 2.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? This weekend's big news: PLACEBO begins off-Broadway, HOME STREET HOME starts in LA, Claybourne Elder stars in ANGELS IN AMERICA in KC, IOWA meets the press and three Broadway shows end this weekend!

Arden Theatre Company continues its 27th season of great stories with Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Alexander Burns directs. Macbeth runs from March 5, 2015 - April 19, 2015, on the Arden's F. Otto Haas Stage at 40 N. 2nd Street in Philadelphia.

On Friday, March 6, noted arranger Fred Barton will bring the music of Broadway and the American Songbook showmanship to the Schimmel Center at Pace University in American Showstoppers: An Evening of Irving Berlin. Hailed by George Gershwin as 'the greatest songwriter that has ever lived,' the legendary Irving Berlin composed some of the most influential and widely-known songs ever written, many of which have come to form the Great American Songbook. Fred Barton now brings the power of Berlin's Broadway sound front and center, with a hot 14-piece orchestra and a cast of 17 Broadway singers and dancers, and direction and choreography by Jason Wise.