Review Roundup: Sufjan Stevens, Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury's ILLINOISE at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Illinoise, the theatrical adaption of Grammy- and Oscar-nominated Sufjan Stevens’ concept album Illinois, is coming to Park Avenue Armory March 3-23, 2024, following a run at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater from January 28-February 18, 2024.

Stevens’ beloved cult classic is brought to life with live music and vocals, impressionistic choreography, and narratives centering on self-exploration and community, crafted by Tony Award-winning director-choreographer Justin Peck (Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, Carousel) and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury (Fairview, Marys Seacole).
 
A full company of performers will bring an original story to life, set to the entirety of Stevens’ album with new arrangements by composer, pianist, and frequent Stevens collaborator Timo Andres, ranging in style from DIY folk and indie rock to marching band and ambient electronics, performed live by an 11-member band and three vocalists. Illinoise will take over the soaring Drill Hall, eliminating a traditional proscenium and inviting audiences to gather in a clearing around the work’s campfire setting with enveloping scenic elements.
 
Featured in the cast of Illinoise is Gaby Diaz, winner of So You Think You Can Dance Season 12, with film credits including Maestro, West Side Story, and tick, tick… BOOM!. Diaz starred Off-Broadway in Only Gold at MCC Theater, for which she won the Chita Rivera Award. Also in the company is Ben Cook, who appeared in the film West Side Story, on Broadway in West Side Story, Mean Girls, and Tuck Everlasting, on film in Happiness for Beginners (Netflix), and in recent featured roles in TV shows The First Lady (Showtime) and Pretty Little Liars (HBO Max); Robbie Fairchild, the former New York City Ballet principal dancer who received a Tony-nomination for his performance in An American in Paris, starred in Brigadoon at New York City Center and in the film Cats; Ahmad Simmons, Fosse/Verdon (FX), Hadestown, West Side Story, Carousel, and Cats on Broadway; and Ricky Ubeda, winner of So You Think You Can Dance Season 11, who appeared in FX’s Fosse/Verdon, the films West Side Story and Maestro, and on Broadway in West Side Story, On The Town, Cats, and Carousel.
 
The cast of Illinoise also includes Kara Chan (Twyla Tharp Dance, Pam Tanowitz Dance), Jeanette Delgado (Miami City Ballet, West Side Story film), Christine Flores (Dance Heginbotham, Pam Tanowitz Dance), Jada German (Twyla Tharp Dance, Metropolitan Opera), Zachary Gonder (Carmen at Lyric Opera, Pam Tanowitz Dance), Rachel Lockhart (Juilliard’s Choreographic Honors program, Jacob’s Pillow), Dario Natarelli (New York City Center Encores!, Maestro film), Tyrone Reese (Juilliard School), Craig Salstein (American Ballet Theatre, associate choreographer for West Side Story and Maestro films, Carousel on Broadway),  Byron Tittle (Dorrance Dance, In the Heights film), and Alejandro Vargas (Juilliard School). The band includes vocalists Elijah Lyons, Shara Nova (featured on the original Illinois album) and Tasha Viets-VanLear, and instrumentalists Christina Courtin, Sean Peter Forte, Domenica Fossati, Daniel Freedman, Kathy Halvorson, Nathan Koci, Eleonore Oppenheim, Brett Parnell, Brandon Ridenour, Kyra Sims, and Jessica Tsang.
 
With inclusion on several reviewer’s “best of the decade” lists including those of Paste, NPR, and Rolling Stone, Sufjan Stevens’ acclaimed 2005 concept album Illinois enjoys cult status for its lush orchestrations and wildly inventive portrayal of the state’s people, landscapes, and history, complete with UFOs, zombies, and predatory wasps. This musically ambitious work, which weaves together cinematic orchestral anthems, jazz riffs, and other musical influences, leads audiences on a mighty journey through the American heartland, from campfire storytelling to the edges of the cosmos. 

Let's see what the critics have to say!

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune: The creativity of Peck’s work is really something, though: the way a gingham cloth becomes Superman’s cape is cool, as is the way Peck and Drury honor Gacy’s victims, and how they approach the racial tensions and oppressions inherent in the history of this state. The show is a very warm-centered work, whimsical and yet vulnerable, experimental and familiar both at once.

Rachel Weinberg, BroadwayWorld: ILLINOISE is a creative and unique contemporary dance show that displays Peck’s elegant artistry and showcases a gorgeous ensemble of dancers. I think this will easily appeal to contemporary dance lovers, but those seeking more standard musical theater fare might be baffled.

Frank Scheck, New York Stage Review: There have been many dance theater pieces inspired by pop artists, but few carry the sweeping emotional heft of Illinoise. Justin Peck’s dance production based on Sufjan’s Stevens’ critically acclaimed 2005 album is now receiving its New York City premiere at the Park Avenue Armory after buzzy runs at the Fisher Center at Bard and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. If the rapturous audience response for this limited engagement is any indication, this won’t be its last stop.

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