Caron Buinis News

Windy City Playhouse (3014 W. Irving Park Road) announces the complete casting for Fernanda Coppel's "King Liz," a production that "keeps you gasping with excitement" (Observer) over one woman's journey to take on the male-dominated world of sports agents.

Underscore Theatre Company is pleased to present its third annual CHICAGO MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL, featuring 14 new musical productions. Created to showcase and support Chicago's burgeoning field of musical theatre creators, this year's festival will be held August 9 - 28, 2016 at Victory Gardens Richard Christiansen Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. Each production will receive four performances during the Festival. The full schedule (Tuesdays - Sundays) and can be found at www.cmtf.org, with tickets currently on sale ($20 per show, $200 all-festival rush passes). The press "sneak preview," featuring a sampling of songs from the 2016 Festival, is Monday, August 8 at 7:30 pm.

CHIMERICA, the widely celebrated 2014 Laurence Olivier Award winner for Best New Play, will have one of its first U.S. productions this spring in Chicago, when TimeLine Theatre Company presents the Chicago premiere of the acclaimed geopolitical thriller, May 3 - July 31, 2016. Press Preview is Wednesday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Chicago's best musical theatre performers gather for one night only on the same stage when the 2016 Jeff Award Nominees are honored at Nominee Night, May 17 at 7PM at Sidetrack Video Bar in Lake View, Chicago.

NightBlue Performing Arts Company is pleased to present the Chicago Non-Equity premiere of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's MARY POPPINS, a musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney Film, with original music and lyrics by the Academy Award-winning team of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, book by Julian Fellowes, new songs and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe and co-created by Cameron Mackintosh. MARY POPPINS will play February 28 - March 27, 2016 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. The press opening is Wednesday, March 2 at 8 pm.

If family-friendly musicals were Easter eggs, NightBlue Performing Arts Company's production of Disney's MARY POPPINS is Faberge.

NightBlue Performing Arts Company is pleased to announce casting for the Chicago Non-Equity premiere of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's MARY POPPINS, a musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney Film, with original music and lyrics by 

Everything's up to date in Aurora, where nearly 27,000 subscribers (and still counting) have already signed up for the Paramount Theatre's 2015-16 four-show Broadway Musical Series. That's just one reason why Paramount's Broadway opener OKLAHOMA!, directed by Artistic Director Jim Corti, promises to be the musical everyone will be talking about this fall. Wower of Chicagoland audiences and critics alike since launching its own, self-produced Broadway series four years ago, the Paramount's fifth consecutive Broadway Series kicks off with the epic, much-loved debut collaboration between Rodgers and Hammerstein about turn of the century American pioneers. Scroll down for photos from opening night on September 19!

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Oklahoma!' is very ok, as are 'Side Show,' 'Triassic Parq' and 'Next To Normal,' 'The Revel' and 'One Brain More' join Super September, and 'Cupid' keeps his heart on. Porchlight has 'Babes In Arms' and a 'New Faces' series, 'Irving Berlin' and 'Elf'plan to light up the holidays, and 'The Wiz' gets replaced by 'Xanadu!'

Everything's up to date in Aurora, where nearly 27,000 subscribers (and still counting) have already signed up for the Paramount Theatre's 2015-16 four-show Broadway Musical Series.

Everything's up to date in Aurora, where nearly 27,000 subscribers (and still counting) have already signed up for the Paramount Theatre's 2015-16 four-show Broadway Musical Series.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. It's a Super September Preview! We've got the low-down on 16 musical productions you will want to see this month, from city to suburbs, big theaters to small, premieres and old favorites galore! 'Side Show,' 'Dogfight,' 'Next To Normal,' 'Oklahoma!,' 'Spamalot,' 'Blood Brothers,' 'October Sky,' CST's 'Ride The Cyclone' and much more!

 Kokandy Productions is pleased to continue its 2015 season with LOVING REPEATING, a musical tribute to the life and loves of celebrated American author Gertrude Stein. Using Stein's own works as lyrics, LOVING REPEATING is adapted by Frank Galati (The Grapes of Wrath, The Accidental Tourist), with music by Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once on This Island, Seussical) direction by Co-Artistic Director Allison Hendrix, music direction by Resident Music Director Kory Danielson and choreography by Andrea Louise Soule.  LOVING REPEATING will play July 18 - August 30, 2015 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.kokandyproductions.com, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office.  The press opening is Monday, July 20 at 7:30 pm.

Kokandy Productions will continue its 2015 season with LOVING REPEATING, a musical tribute to the life and loves of celebrated American author Gertrude Stein. Using Stein's own works as lyrics, LOVING REPEATING is adapted by Frank Galati (The Grapes of Wrath, The Accidental Tourist), with music by Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once on This Island, Seussical) direction by Co-Artistic Director Allison Hendrix, music direction by Resident Music Director Kory Danielson and choreography by Andrea Louise Soule. LOVING REPEATING will play tonight, July 18, through August 30, 2015 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.

Everything's up to date in Aurora, where nearly 27,000 subscribers (and still counting) have already signed up for the Paramount Theatre's 2015-16 four-show Broadway Musical Series.

Kokandy Productions will continue its 2015 season with LOVING REPEATING, a musical tribute to the life and loves of celebrated American author Gertrude Stein. Using Stein's own works as lyrics, LOVING REPEATING is adapted by Frank Galati (The Grapes of Wrath, The Accidental Tourist), with music by Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once on This Island, Seussical) direction by Co-Artistic Director Allison Hendrix, music direction by Resident Music Director Kory Danielson and choreography by Andrea Louise Soule. 

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Once' and 'On Your Feet!' arrive, Kooman and Dimond try one out, 'Loving Repeating' returns, 'The Fantasticks' grows its orchestra, local 'Spider Woman' and 'Idiot' productions, two new works about the deaths of pop musicians, and the real-life death of PJ Paparelli.

Kokandy Productions is pleased to announce casting for LOVING REPEATING, a musical tribute to the life and loves of celebrated American author Gertrude Stein. Using Stein's own works as lyrics, LOVING REPEATING is adapted by Frank Galati (The Grapes of Wrath, The Accidental Tourist), with music by Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once on This Island, Seussical) direction by Co-Artistic Director Allison Hendrix, music direction by Resident Music Director Kory Danielson and choreography by Andrea Louise Soule. LOVING REPEATING will play July 18 - August 30, 2015 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago. Tickets are currently available at www.kokandyproductions.com, by calling (773) 975-8150 or in person at the Theater Wit Box Office. The press opening is Monday, July 20 at 7:30 pm.

Sean Graney, who recently returned to Chicago to resume his post as Artistic Director of The Hypocrites, informed the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee that he just learned the theater company had been operating under an Equity CAT-N contract for the duration of the 2014-2015 Non-Equity season.  Over the past year, requests for judging its productions were made to the Non-Equity Wing without the committee having knowledge of the company's Equity status. The Jeff Committee was aware that two of the productions had Equity performers (as indicated in the program); however, the committee has now confirmed that these were not guest contracts.  As such, the company's productions are not eligible for consideration in the Non-Equity Wing, and all related Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations have been rescinded.  The productions in question will be shifted to the Equity Wing for awards consideration during its current season, which commenced on August 1, 2014 and will end on July 30, 2015.