American Ballet Theatre Returns to Chicago in April

American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the greatest dance companies in the world, returns to the Auditorium Theatre (Chicago's landmark stage at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) with a diverse mixed rep program featuring both classics and contemporary works, for three performances only Friday-Sunday, April 14-16, 2023.

Two works will have Chicago Premieres: Christopher Rudd's Touché (2022), a male pas de deux, and Jessica Lang's ZigZag (2021), featuring songs sung by Tony Bennett with a special duet with Lady Gaga, in addition to classics: Alexei Ratmansky's Songs of Bukovina (2017) and Clark Tippet's Some Assembly Required (1989). ABT last performed on the Auditorium Theatre stage in 2019 with the Chicago debut of Ratmansky's lauded full-length ballet, Whipped Cream.

Honoring Rudd's revolutionary work, ABT and the Auditorium Theatre will proudly host the first-ever CHICAGO ABT PRIDE NIGHT CELEBRATION on Saturday evening, April 15, featuring a lively post-show conversation about Touché and other ABT LGBTQIA+ works, hosted by Dance Magazine's Zachary Whittenburg. Following that evening's performance, audience members are invited to learn more about this ground-breaking all-male love duet (pas de deux), specifically designed by Rudd to normalize gay love and lust in our society. Audiences will also get special insight into the creation of the piece during the pandemic by ABT Principal Dancer Calvin Royal III and ABT corps de ballet member João Menegussi. Advance registration for this free program is required; visit here to RSVP.

"We're delighted to welcome back the world-renowned American Ballet Theatre to the Auditorium Theatre stage. Audiences will experience a dynamic program of duets and a crowd-pleasing finale set to a Tony Bennett score. Plus, we're honored to host the first-ever CHICAGO ABT PRIDE NIGHT CELEBRATION, featuring a rare post-show conversation with acclaimed choreographer Christopher Rudd fresh off the Chicago debut of his all-male pas de deux. PRIDE NIGHT continues the Auditorium's commitment to relevant programming for the LGBTQIA+ community, ranging from performances by Trixie Mattel and Katya Zimo, Jinkx & DeLa, and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo to Chicago Dancers United and Dance For Life," said Auditorium Theatre CEO Rich Regan.

"ABT's return to Chicago brings an exciting opportunity to share a mix of classical and new commissions with a new audience. The storytelling through a piece like Some Assembly Required and the fun and joy shared through ZigZag are great examples of the diversity in style and messaging that is capable in our art form. With the Touché panel discussion, we hope to extend the conversation about how we see ourselves reflected and represented on stage," added American Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Susan Jaffe.