Breon Arzell News

The Jeff Awards has announced the nominees for the 52nd annual awards for theater excellence that include 142 theater artists across 30 artistic and technical categories. The awards will be presented in an online program on Monday, November 9, 2020 at 7:00PM.

As the national call for social justice increases, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is honored to support BIPOC artists and stories.

Free programming for participants a?oeaged eight to 80a?? is underway online, as Goodman Theatre's popular Education and Engagement summer offerings for multigenerational learners go virtual. Nearly 150 studentsa?"35% of whom are new to the Goodmana?"participate in summer programs, which gather online each week on varying days and times.

As part of the annual recognition of theater excellence, the 47th Non-Equity Jeff Awards today announced honorees in 21 artistic and technical categories. Recipients included 27 theater artists whose work was featured at 14 theater companies during the 2019-2020 season.

With the conclusion of the 2019-2020 Chicago non-Equity theater season, the Jeff Awards announced the nominees for the 47th annual awards for theater excellence that include 120 theater artists across 21 categories.

Mercury Theater Chicago announced today the cast and crew of the spectacular musical comedy PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, running in the Venus Cabaret Theater from March 20 through June 28.

The Story Theatre has announced their upcoming March staged readings. Marie Antoinette and the Magical Negroes by Terry Guest will close out Guest's Emerging Playwright Residency with The Story. They are thrilled to have added Isabel Thompson's Big Kids to their season as well.

A production of the fun-loving musical comedy PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT will run in the Venus Cabaret Theater from March 20 through June 28. The press opening is Sunday, March 29 at 7:30pm. Adapted from the beloved movie-musical The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, PRISCILLA tells a fabulous story of love, family, and true friendship, following three drag queens on their adventures across the Australian Outback. PRISCILLA will feature the creative talents of L. Walter Stearns (Director), Eugene Dizon (Music Director), and Breon Arzell (Choreographer).

Olney Theatre Center kicks off the decade with a production of Quiara Alegría Hudes' newest musical, Miss You Like Hell on the Mainstage (January 29 - March 1, 2020). Hudes, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Lin-Manuel Miranda's collaborator on the book and film of In The Heights, wrote the book and shares credit for the lyrics with folk-rock star Erin McKeown who also wrote the music. Lisa Portes and Breon Arzell make their Olney Theatre debuts as director and choreographer, respectively. Press is invited to attend the performance on Saturday, February 1 at 8:00 pm.

BroadwayWorld has a look at opening night of Drury Lane Theatre's production of the 2016 Tony Award-winning The Color Purple, with book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russel, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. The Color Purple is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, choreographed by Breon Arzell, and music directed by Jermaine Hill. The production runs through November 3, 2019, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at Drury Lane Theatre's production of the 2016 Tony Award-winning The Color Purple, with book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russel, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. The Color Purple is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, choreographed by Breon Arzell, and music directed by Jermaine Hill. The production runs through November 3, 2019, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.

Drury Lane Theatre presents the 2016 Tony Award-winning The Color Purple, with book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russel, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray.

Experience true Southern hospitality at Celie's Southern Tea before the matinee performance of the Tony Award-winning musical The Color Purple on October 26, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. Enjoy scrumptious Southern comfort food like fried green tomatoes, cornbread muffins, and hummingbird cake, and meet a?oeCeliea?? and her sister a?oeNettie,a?? played by Eben K. Logan and Kyrie Courter. Celie's Southern Tea is $37.00 for adults and $27.00 for children 12 and under. Reservations must be made 24 hours in advance.

Goodman Theatre has welcomed four Chicago-based writers to its Playwrights Unit. The 2019-20 playwrights are Monty Cole, Nancy García Loza, Alex Lubischer, and Steve Pickering, according to American Theatre.

Today, the Goodman named four Chicago-based writers to its Playwrights Unit

Due to popular demand, Kokandy Productions' breakout summer hit HEAD OVER HEELS will add two additional weeks of performances, extending through September 8, 2019 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.

Drury Lane Theatre announces casting for its production of the 2016 Tony Award-winning The Color Purple, with book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russel, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. The Color Purple is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, choreographed by Breon Arzell, and music directed by Jermaine Hill. The production runs September 13 a?" November 3, 2019, at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The press opening is scheduled for Thursday, September 19 at 8:00 p.m.

Full cast and production team were announced today for the Equity-affiliated Citadel Theatre Company's production of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER.  The fantasy-comedy by Rick Elice, author of JERSEY BOYS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY and THE CHER SHOW, imagines how Peter Pan might have become lost in Neverland, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER's Broadway production was nominated for nine Tony Awards (including Best Play) and won five.

Goodman Theatre's summer programsa?"PlayBuild Youth Intensive and Musical Theater Intensivea?"culminate with two final showcases performed by 100 students (aged 14-18) on August 9 and 10 at 7pm. Under the leadership of Walter Director of Education and Engagement Willa J. Taylor, both programs were offered free of charge and taught over the course of six-to-seven weeks in the Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement (a?oethe Alicea??). Each performance will be themed to Summer Love to celebrate the various iterations of love.

Making its Chicago debut just six months after concluding its Broadway run, Kokandy Production's HEAD OVER HEELS is now open. HEAD OVER HEELS is co-directed by Kokandy's new Producing Artistic Director Derek Van Barham and Elizabeth Swanson, with music direction by Kyra Leigh and choreography by Breon Arzell. Check out video of the production!