Donica Lynn News

Drury Lane recently celebrated the opening of The Gin Game, the Pulitzer-winning play The Gin Game written by D.L. Coburn, featuring Chicago legends Paula Scrofano and John Reeger, and directed by Ross Lehman. The Gin Game runs through August 13, 2017 at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook, IL. Scroll down for photos of the opening festivities!

Donica Lynn announces the fifth annual benefit concert Today's a Good Day-Walk With Me at 8:00pm on Monday, June 26, 2017 at The Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Ave. All proceeds from tickets sales, donations, and raffle will be donated equally to the American Cancer Society and the American Brain Tumor Association.

Drury Lane Theatre Young Audiences presents Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach the exciting tale of adventure and friendship perfect for the whole family, featuring words and music by Broadway's hottest duo, Academy Award-winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land,Dear Evan Hansen) - and a charming new book by Timothy Allen McDonald.

Jeff Award-nominee and HIV+ director/producer Christopher Pazdernik is pleased to announce the 3rd annual CHRIS' BIRTHDAY BELT FEST, a benefit concert for Howard Brown Health on Monday, May 15 at 8 pm at Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway in Chicago. Featuring 40 award-winning musical theater performers from across Chicago and musical direction by Aaron Benham, this year's benefit will feature a record number of performers and a brand new theme: Duets! Tickets, priced at $25, are currently available at uptownunderground.net or by calling (773) 867-1946. Uptown Underground is a 21+ venue; advance reservations strongly recommended.

Artistic Director Chay Yew and Managing Director Erica Daniels announce a one-week extension to the World Premiere, hit production of A Wonder In My Soul, written by ensemble playwright Marcus Gardley and directed by Chay Yew, with music direction by Jaret Landon. A Wonder In My Soul will now run through March 19, 2017 at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

In Kurtis Boetcher's set design for Marcus Gardley's world premiere A WONDER IN MY SOUL, the backdrop for the South Side beauty shop where the play is set prominently displays the photographs of black female icons ranging from Diana Ross to Beyonce-and all of course have fabulous hair in the photos. And as we learn in the play, Aberdeen "Birdie" Calumet (Greta Oglesby) and Bell Grand Lake's (Jacqueline Williams) fictional beauty shop has played host to a number of these famous black women over the years. But what Gardley's play does so beautifully is take the story of these specific, everyday characters and lend a universality to them. The play takes place primarily in 2008 but shows us flashbacks of young Birdie (Camille Robinson) and young Bell (Donica Lynn) as they make their way from Mississippi to settle in Chicago and start their business. Along the way, Gardley weaves a narrative that is warm and sometimes funny but also ultimately serious and touching. And as one would expect, Johnny Jamison's hair and wig design is just superb.

Victory Gardens Theater continues its season with the World Premiere of A Wonder In My Soul, written by ensemble playwright Marcus Gardley and directed by Artistic Director Chay Yew. A Wonder In My Soul runs February 10 - March 12, 2017, with the press performance today, February 17, 2017, at 7:30 pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Victory Gardens Theater continues its season with the World Premiere of A Wonder In My Soul, written by ensemble playwright Marcus Gardley and directed by Artistic Director Chay Yew, with original music by Jaret Landon. A Wonder In My Soul runs now through March 12, 2017, with the press performance on Friday, February 17, 2017, at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

Artists Giving Back, a local not-for-profit that specializes in fundraising through the arts, is throwing a benefit concert called AGB Presents: Songs of Healing a Benefit for Donica Lynn.

Victory Gardens Theater continues its season with the World Premiere of A Wonder In My Soul, written by ensemble playwright Marcus Gardley and directed by Artistic Director Chay Yew, with original music by Jaret Landon. A Wonder In My Soul runs February 10 - March 12, 2017, with the press performance today, February 17, 2017, at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Victory Gardens Theater continues its season with the World Premiere of A Wonder In My Soul, written by ensemble playwright Marcus Gardley and directed by Artistic Director Chay Yew. A Wonder In My Soul runs February 10 - March 12, 2017, with the press performance today, February 17, 2017, at 7:30 pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Directors Scott Weinstein and Hannah Dawe and Music Director Jermaine Hill will lead a Valentine's Day themed event, LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE: A concert benefiting Planned Parenthood, the Trevor Project and the Southern Poverty Law Center. The concert is set to take place at 8PM on Monday, February 13, at Windy City Playhouse (3014 W Irving Park Rd) and will feature several of Chicago's most beloved theater artists including Donica Lynn, Alex Weisman and Jonathan Butler-Duplessis.

Through Lyric's groundbreaking Chicago Voices initiative, the music of Chicago past and present will be in the spotlight in a star-studded weekend of vocal artistry! During the weekend of February 2 - 4, Lyric will present a series of Expert Panels and Master Classes in conjunction with the Chicago Voices Concert, a one-night only, multi-genre concert celebrating Chicago's diverse vocal music heritage with performances by iconic Chicago singers.

Through Lyric's groundbreaking Chicago Voices initiative, the music of Chicago past and present will be in the spotlight in a star-studded weekend of vocal artistry! During the weekend of February 2 - 4, Lyric will present a series of Expert Panels and Master Classes in conjunction with the Chicago Voices Concert, a one-night only, multi-genre concert celebrating Chicago's diverse vocal music heritage with performances by iconic Chicago singers.

Victory Gardens Theater continues its season with the World Premiere of A Wonder In My Soul, written by ensemble playwright Marcus Gardley and directed by Artistic Director Chay Yew, with original music by Jaret Landon. A Wonder In My Soul runs February 10 - March 12, 2017, with the press performance on Friday, February 17, 2017, at 7:30pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

Through Lyric's groundbreaking Chicago Voices initiative, the music of Chicago past and present will be in the spotlight in a star-studded weekend of vocal artistry! During the weekend of February 2 - 4, Lyric will present a series of Expert Panels and Master Classes in conjunction with the Chicago Voices Concert, a one-night only, multi-genre concert celebrating Chicago's diverse vocal music heritage with performances by iconic Chicago singers.

Victory Gardens Theater continues its season with the World Premiere of A Wonder In My Soul, written by ensemble playwright Marcus Gardley and directed by Artistic Director Chay Yew. A Wonder In My Soul runs February 10 - March 12, 2017, with the press performance on Friday, February 17, 2017, at 7:30 pm at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

The gala 48th Annual Equity Jeff Awards held at Drury Lane Oakbrook on Monday, October 17, celebrated a season of outstanding productions.

Drury Lane Theatre presents Smokey Joe's Cafe, the musical revue celebrating the renowned musical duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Smokey Joe's Cafe is directed and choreographed by internationally-acclaimed director Marcia Milgrom Dodge and runs now through October 23, 2016 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The Press Opening is Thursday, September 8 at 8:00 p.m. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Drury Lane Theatre announces complete casting for its production of Smokey Joe's Cafe, the musical revue celebrating the renowned musical duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.