Chicago Shakespeare Theatre News

Celebrating 35 years of bringing award-winning musical theater to Chicagoland, the Marriott Theatre will open its 2009 Season with the mega-hit musical JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT. Perfect for the whole family, JOSEPH previews begin February 18th ; the show opens on February 25th ; and runs through May 10th at Marriott Theatre. Multi-Jeff Award winner Marc Robin will choreograph and direct this must-see production.

Loretta Greco has chosen Tough Titty to start off the new year, a dynamically theatrical and surprisingly funny odyssey through one woman's battle with breast cancer. Tough Titty, written by Oni Faida Lampley and directed by Robert O'Hara, marks the third play of Magic Theatre's 2008/09 season. In Tough Titty, when Angela's routine cannot keep breast cancer at bay, she must learn to face the disease, her family, and her community with equal doses of tenacity and humor. Richly emotional, Tough Titty is a boisterous exploration of one woman's willful search for grace.

Celebrating 35 years of bringing award-winning musical theater to Chicagoland, the Marriott Theatre will open its 2009 Season with the mega-hit musical JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT. Perfect for the whole family, JOSEPH previews begin February 18th ; the show opens on February 25th ; and runs through May 10th at Marriott Theatre. Multi-Jeff Award winner Marc Robin will choreograph and direct this must-see production.

The Board of Trustees of the Fulton Opera House Foundation announced the appointment of Marc Robin as Artistic Director of Fulton Theatre at a morning press conference on Friday, January 23, 2009. Fulton Board President Harvey Owen opened the press conference by thanking the search committee for their work in recommending Mr. Robin to the Board for the position. 'I can truly say that this committee under Ellen Groff and Deidre Simmons' leadership worked very hard and researched Mr. Robin very carefully,' said Owen. 'The Board felt it had big shoes to fill. Not only did we have a challenge to find a highly qualified successor to a man who dedicated himself to building up the Fulton's image but also an obligation to do so. We owed it to Michael [Mitchell], to ourselves and to the community at large.'

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Fred Applegate. Sebastian Arcelus, Miguel Cervantes, Hunter Foster, Joanna Gleason, Ken Page, Robert Petkoff, Jenny Powers, Phyllis Somerville and Pearl Sun will be featured in its upcoming production of the new musical HAPPINESS.

Celebrating 35 years of bringing award-winning musical theater to Chicagoland, the Marriott Theatre will open its 2009 Season with the mega-hit musical JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT. Perfect for the whole family, JOSEPH previews begin February 18th ; the show opens on February 25th ; and runs through May 10th at Marriott Theatre. Multi-Jeff Award winner Marc Robin will choreograph and direct this must-see production. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's most playful, joyous and feel-good musical, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, is a 'colorful' retelling of the Biblical life of Joseph and his amazing abilities. The story will take you on a fantastic journey of song and dance; from country and calypso, to musical theater and doo wop! Director Marc Robin says, 'I love the celebration of the story. I connect with the amazing energy that is present in the heart of this piece'. An audience favorite and worldwide phenomenon for more than forty years, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT will be presented in brilliant 'Technicolor' on the Marriott stage. The irresistible score includes Broadway favorites Any Dream Will Do, Close Every Door, and Go, Go, Go Joseph.

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) today announced that Jennifer Van Dyck, Scott Parkinson, Sarah Rafferty and Jonathan Walker will complete the cast for their production of Charles Busch's The Third Story, directed by Carl Andress. As previously announced Kathleen Turner and Mr. Busch will appear as dueling divas.

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of Andre Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced that Fred Applegate. Sebastian Arcelus, Miguel Cervantes, Hunter Foster, Joanna Gleason, Ken Page, Robert Petkoff, Jenny Powers, Phyllis Somerville and Pearl Sun will be featured in its upcoming production of the new musical HAPPINESS.

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) is thrilled to host the NYC premiere of Simon Green Sings COWARD AT CHRISTMAS: A Cabaret for Noel. Simon Green Sings COWARD AT CHRISTMAS: A Cabaret for Noel began performances on Sunday, December 14 for a limited engagement through Sunday, January 4. There was a special Noel Coward Birthday Celebration Performance on Tuesday, December 16 at 8:30 PM, which included a champagne toast, birthday cake and special guest theatre icon Elaine Stritch.

Downstage @ New Rep is reviving its holiday celebration of anti-cheer with David Sedaris' hilarious autobiographical solo show, The Santaland Diaries. The one-man comedy that satirizes everything we love to hate about the holidays opens for the press on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. and plays through January 4, 2009 in the Black Box Theater at the Arsenal Center for the Arts.

Experience the New Residents' Showcase, January 10, 2009 at Chicago Dramatists. The new Residents in this 30th anniversary season are Mary Ruth Clarke, Cheryl Coons, Christopher De Paola, Sarah Gubbins, David Scott Hay, and Jon Steinhagen.

59E59 Theaters' Holiday E:Café toasts the Festive season with SIMON GREEN Sings COWARD AT CHRISTMAS: A Cabaret for Noël

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, Artistic Directors; William Cantler, Associate Artistic Director; Blake West, Executive Director) today announced that Jennifer Van Dyck, Scott Parkinson, Sarah Rafferty and Jonathan Walker will complete the cast for their production of Charles Busch's The Third Story, directed by Carl Andress. As previously announced Kathleen Turner and Mr. Busch will appear as dueling divas.

Downstage @ New Rep is reviving its holiday celebration of anti-cheer with David Sedaris' hilarious autobiographical solo show, The Santaland Diaries. The one-man comedy that satirizes everything we love to hate about the holidays opens for the press on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. and plays through January 4, 2009 in the Black Box Theater at the Arsenal Center for the Arts.

American Theater Company (ATC) continues its 2008-09 season with the sixth annual production of It's a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play adapted from Frank Capra's classic film and directed by Damon Kiely. The production will run December 4 -December 28, 2008, at American Theater Company, 1909 W Byron St, Chicago, IL. Press opening is Monday, December 8, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.

Adventure Stage Chicago (ASC) proudly announces their 2008-2009 season opener-Louis Sachar's stage adaptation of his novel HOLES, directed by Matthew Reeder (ASC's The Shakespeare Stealer, Still Life with Iris).

American Theater Company (ATC) continues its 2008-09 season with the sixth annual production of It's a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play adapted from Frank Capra's classic film and directed by Damon Kiely. The production will run December 4 -December 28, 2008, at American Theater Company, 1909 W Byron St, Chicago, IL. Press opening is Monday, December 8, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.

59E59 Theaters' Holiday E:Café toasts the Festive season with SIMON GREEN Sings COWARD AT CHRISTMAS: A Cabaret for Noël

Experience the New Residents' Showcase, January 10, 2009 at Chicago Dramatists. The new Residents in this 30th anniversary season are Mary Ruth Clarke, Cheryl Coons, Christopher De Paola, Sarah Gubbins, David Scott Hay, and Jon Steinhagen.

Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans announce the Chicago premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical Grey Gardens, book by Doug Wright, lyrics by Michael Korie and music by Scott Frankel. The production, directed by BJ Jones with musical direction by Doug Peck, choreography by Marla Lampert and featuring Hollis Resnik, Tempe Thomas and Ann Whitney, has already been extended and will now run November 12-December 28, 2008, at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd in Skokie.