Ariana Burks News

Porchlight’s SPRING AWAKENING brings out moments of the raw emotion and many of the angsty vibes in the musical with Hlava’s Wendla and Kelch’s Mortiz as powerful anchors in this ensemble of angsty teens (though, aside from Hlava, all the actors are past their teen days). While the production doesn’t solve the musical’s challenges of underbaked characters and heavy-handedness when it comes to the issues presented, Didier’s direction and choreography bring us some nice tableaus, along with Justin Akira Kono’s music direction that highlights the ensemble in key vocal moments.

Goodman Theatre announced casting for Life After by rising star writer/lyricist/composer Britta Johnson, directed by Annie Tippe. Leading the cast of nine is Samantha Williams as teenaged Alice—a young woman who, in search of facts, uncovers a more complicated truth as she pieces together events of the fateful night that changed her family forever.

This spring Porchlight Music Theatre is presenting the winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Spring Awakening, at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N Dearborn St., now playing through June 2.

This spring, Porchlight Music Theatre presents the winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Spring Awakening, at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N Dearborn St., April 23 - May 29, music by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater and based on the 1891 German play Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind.

Get a sneak-peek at Goodman Theatre’s A Christmas Carol back on stage in the heart of the Chicago Loop following a year of darkened stages.

Jeff Award-winning director and HIV+ activist Christopher Pazdernik presents the 6th annual Belting for Life (formerly known as Chris’ Birthday Belt Fest), an annual benefit concert for Howard Brown Health, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ organizations. 

There will be bubbles. So many bubbles….   At LITTLE JAMS: A Parking Lot Performance, an all-new, in-person, outdoor music fest for kids and families, opening Saturday, May 15 at Chicago Children's Theatre, 100 S. Racine in Chicago's West Loop.  

Jeff Award-winning director and HIV+ activist Christopher Pazdernik presents the 6th annual Belting for Life (formerly known as Chris' Birthday Belt Fest), an annual benefit concert for Howard Brown Health, one of the nation's largest LGBTQ organizations.

Porchlight Music Theatre has announced a line up including more than 50 Chicago artists performing, greetings and well wishes from Broadway stars including E. Faye Butler, Sean Allan Krill, Telly Leung, LaChanze, Susan Moniz and Kathy Voyto, a new raffle prize for a weekend in the home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and more as a part of its annual Chicago Sings fundraising concert.

Each year, Porchlight Music Theatre celebrates an individual who has made an exceptional and lasting contribution to the state of the art of Chicago music theatre with the prestigious Guy Adkins Award. This year, Felicia P. Fields is the recipient.

Porchlight Music Theatre has announced Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway, premiering Saturday, March 20 at 7 p.m. CDT.

Writers Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce a reunion of the original company of TREVOR the musical. The reunion will be presented in four weekly video installments on Writers Theatre's official Facebook page and YouTube Channel beginning Wednesday, November 18 at 7pm.

Tune into BOING! 2020, a free webcast debuting on Chicago Children's Theatre's new YouTube channel, CCTv, dropping Saturday, June 20 at 10 a.m. CST.

After 15 years packing the Family stages at the Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits music festivals, popular Chicago-based hip hop theater collective the Q Brothers have finally recorded an album for their youngest fans (and their folks).

Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere production of Pulitzer Prize Finalist Dance Nation by Clare Barron, directed and choreographed by Lee Sunday Evans.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere production of Pulitzer Prize Finalist Dance Nation by Clare Barron, directed and choreographed by Lee Sunday Evans.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is now in rehearsals with Pulitzer Prize Finalist Dance Nation by Clare Barron, directed and choreographed by Lee Sunday Evans. Steppenwolf's production features ensemble members Audrey Francis (The Moms/Vanessa), Tim Hopper (Dance Teacher Pat), Caroline Neff (Zuzu), and Karen Rodriguez (Amina) with Ariana Burks (Sofia), Adithi Chandrashekar (Connie), Shanésia Davis (Ashlee), Torrey Hanson (Luke) and Ellen Maddow (Maeve). A success-driven pre-teen dance troupe finds themselves trying to understand their ambition, insecurities, changing bodies, rivalries and friendships while exploring the desires, confusion and sometimes feral nature of adolescence.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is now in rehearsals with Pulitzer Prize Finalist Dance Nation by Clare Barron, directed and choreographed by Lee Sunday Evans. Steppenwolf's production features ensemble members Audrey Francis (The Moms/Vanessa), Tim Hopper (Dance Teacher Pat), Caroline Neff (Zuzu), and Karen Rodriguez (Amina) with Ariana Burks (Sofia), Adithi Chandrashekar (Connie), Shanésia Davis (Ashlee), Torrey Hanson (Luke) and Ellen Maddow (Maeve). A success-driven pre-teen dance troupe finds themselves trying to understand their ambition, insecurities, changing bodies, rivalries and friendships while exploring the desires, confusion and sometimes feral nature of adolescence.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is now in rehearsals with Pulitzer Prize Finalist Dance Nation by Clare Barron, directed and choreographed by Lee Sunday Evans.

Goodman Theatre is pleased to announce the "Disney Musicals in Schools" Student Share Celebration, featuring nearly 200 students from five Chicago schools performing for their classmates, families and community members.