Cynthia Carter News

Black Ensemble Theater in Chicago will present Blue Heaven, a new original musical written and directed by Daryl D. Brooks, running September 6 – October 26, 2025.

Chicago's favorite evening of big voices for a big cause, will return with the 10th annual Belting for Life in May. This year's milestone event has a new home at Evanston SPACE. Learn how to attend.

Black Ensemble Theater has announced the next production in the 2024 Season of Affirmation: Protection – The Salon, written and directed by Michelle Reneé Bester.

Join the 9th annual BELTING FOR LIFE benefit concert, presented by Jeff Award-winning director and HIV+ activist Christopher Pazdernik, supporting the AIDS Foundation Chicago. Learn how to purchase tickets.

Full casting has been revealed for the Nashville premiere of ONLY HOPE: A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO A WALK TO REMEMBER. Learn more about who is joining the cast here!

BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER will conclude its 2023 season with the holiday favorite, THE OTHER CINDERELLA, written and directed by Jackie Taylor.

Mercury’s production has some fabulous performances, but it doesn’t entirely answer the question of why BIG RIVER needed to be brought out of the archives.

Mercury Theater has released first look production photos from Big River, a musical based on Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Chicago's favorite evening of big voices for a big cause, returns with the 8th annual Belting for Life. For one night only on Monday, May 15 at 7:30pm at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre in Evanston, Jeff Award-winning director and HIV+ activist Christopher Pazdernik presents the beloved benefit concert.

Mercury Theater Artistic Director Christopher Chase Carter, Managing Director Kristi J. Martens and Executive Producers L. Walter Stearns and Eugene Dizon has announced the cast and creative team for Big River, a musical based on Mark Twain's timeless classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Chicago's favorite evening of big voices for a big cause, returns with the 7th annual Belting for Life. For one night only on May 16 at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre.

WOMEN OF SOUL delivers the kind of high-energy tribute that makes up the best kind of revue, and the songs are irresistible.

Artistic Director Christopher Chase Carter, Managing Director Shane Murray-Corcoran, and Executive Producers Walter Stearns and Eugene Dizon announce the cast and creative team for the next Mainstage production of the 2021-2022 Mercury Theater Chicago season, Women of Soul, featuring a special tribute to Aretha Franklin.

Porchlight Music Theatre begins its eighth season of Chicago's “lost” musicals series with Porchlight Revisits Nunsense, book, music and lyrics by Dan Goggin+ with direction by Michelle Lauto*, musical direction by Kailey Rockwell* and choreography by Jenna Schoppe*.

Porchlight Music Theatre begins its eighth season of Chicago's “lost” musicals series with Porchlight Revisits Nunsense, book, music and lyrics by Dan Goggin+ with direction by Michelle Lauto*, musical direction by Kailey Rockwell* and choreography by Jenna Schoppe*.

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. 

Black Ensemble Theater Founder and Executive Director Jackie Taylor announces Jackie Taylor's Soul of A Powerful Woman (Her To Save The World), now in its eighth year. The virtual one-night fundraising event to benefit Black Ensemble Theater will be live on May 23 at 6:00 p.m. on Facebook and Youtube.

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.

The acclaimed Black Ensemble Theater, led by Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor, is celebrating the 2020 Holiday season with The Black Ensemble Virtual Holiday Extravaganza, written and directed by Producing Managing Director Daryl D. Brooks.

Adapted and directed for the stage by Jordan Ross Schindler (co-creator of Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical, The Unauthorized O.C. Musical), A Walk to Remember: The Unauthorized Musical will return to the Rockwell Table & Stage just in time for Valentine's Day with a limited five performance encore beginning Tuesday, February 11th.