Kiersten Frumkin News

Acting and singing dazzle in an otherwise stale and dated WORKING.

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre's second musical of the 2019-20 season will be WORKING, based on Stud Terkel's landmark book in which he interviewed Chicagoans about their feelings toward their jobs.

Launching BoHo Theatre's fifteenth season, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's BRIGHT STAR is an earnest and charming show that wears its heart proudly on its musical sleeve.

BoHo Theatre begins its 2019 season with BRIGHT STAR, a new musical by playwright Steve Martin and musician Edie Brickell, directed by Ericka Mac. This production marks the company's first as a resident company at Lincoln Park's Greenhouse Theater Center and also the first under new artistic director Stephen Schellhardt. BRIGHT STAR was nominated for five Tony Awards and called "a shining achievement" by THE NEW YORK TIMES. It received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music and Outer Critics Circles Awards for Outstanding New Broadway Musical and Outstanding Score.

Come to see the new theater space, but stay for Mercury's COMPANY.

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Avenue - is pleased to announce the opening of VENUS CABARET THEATER with a uniquely intimate production of Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY, running from April 5th through June 3rd. Press opening is the weekend of April 13th-15th. Named for the planet next to Mercury, Venus Cabaret is a versatile new performance space offering food and drinks to complement each production.

Porchlight Music Theatre opened Porchlight Revisits They're Playing Our Song last night at Porchlight's new home, The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. They're Playing Our Song features music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager and book by Neil Simon, with direction and choreography by Christopher Carter, musical direction by Andra Velis Simon and starring Lorenzo Rush Jr and Sharriese Hamilton. 

Porchlight Music Theatre announced that Lorenzo Rush Jr has replaced James Earl Jones II in Porchlight Revisits They're Playing Our Song, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager and book by Neil Simon, with direction and choreography by Christopher Carter and musical direction by Andra Velis Simon. Porchlight Revisits They're Playing our Song is presented for three-nights-only Tuesday, March 6 through Thursday, March 8 at 7:15 p.m. and is performed on the set of Porchlight's Merrily We Roll Along (previews begin January 26) at Porchlight's new home, The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Tickets for They're Playing Our Song are $35.

Porchlight Music Theatre announced that Lorenzo Rush Jr has replaced James Earl Jones II in Porchlight Revisits They're Playing Our Song, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager and book by Neil Simon, with direction and choreography by Christopher Carter and musical direction by Andra Velis Simon. Porchlight Revisits They're Playing our Song is presented for three-nights-only Tuesday, March 6 through Thursday, March 8 at 7:15 p.m. and is performed on the set of Porchlight's Merrily We Roll Along (previews begin January 26) at Porchlight's new home, The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Tickets for They're Playing Our Song are $35. All tickets include access to the popular pre-performance event, Behind the Show Backstory, a multimedia presentation, created and hosted by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Weber that discusses the evening's production including the show's creative history, juicy backstage gossip and the state of the art on Broadway that season. Single tickets to They're Playing Our Song and subscriptions for the entire series are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office at 773.777.9884.

The Paramount Theatre in west suburban Chicago opened a divine, decadent new production of Kander & Ebb's Cabaret on Saturday, February 10. Here, the cast and crew celebrate the Jeff-nominated production in the Paramount Theatre's Grand Gallery at the post-show opening night party.

Porchlight Music Theatre continues its fifth season of Chicago's lost musicals in staged concert series with Porchlight Revisits They're Playing Our Song, starring Sharriese Hamilton and James Earl Jones II, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager and book by Neil Simon, with direction and choreography by Christopher Carter and musical direction by Andra Velis Simon. Porchlight Revisits They're Playing our Song is presented for three-nights-only Tuesday, March 6 through Thursday, March 8 at 7:15 p.m. and is performed on the set of Porchlight's Merrily We Roll Along (previews begin January 26) at Porchlight's new home, The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Tickets for They're Playing Our Song are $35. All tickets include access to the popular pre-performance event, Behind the Show Backstory, a multimedia presentation, created and hosted by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Weber that discusses the evening's production including the show's creative history, juicy backstage gossip and the state of the art on Broadway that season. Single tickets to They're Playing Our Song and subscriptions for the entire series are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office at 773.777.9884.

Williams Street Repertory has announced casting for their upcoming production of "Little Shop of Horrors." This campy musical based on the 1960s cult horror film opens on October 6, 2017 and runs select dates through October 29, 2017 at Raue Center For The Arts.

Paramount Theatre presents a rollicking 2017-18 BroadwaySeries opener with Million Dollar Quartet, the wildly popular rock and roll musical that played more than 2,500 performances in Chicago. BroadwayWorld has exclusive photos from the opening festivities below!

Williams Street Repertory has announced casting for their upcoming production of "Little Shop of Horrors." This campy musical based on the 1960s cult horror film opens on October 6, 2017 and runs select dates through October 29, 2017 at Raue Center For The Arts.

The unquestioned immortality of Mamma Mia! took a hit last year when its Broadway run came to an end after playing fourteen years, two theatres and 5,773 performances. Now comes the question of its unavoidability. Somehow, I've managed to - okay, maybe not avoid it, which implies snobbishness on my part - but Mamma Mia! has just never been on my radar. It'll be around forever - or at least as long as Boomer nostalgia sells - so that leaves plenty of time to catch up on other things, my thought process went. But now begins what will presumably turn into a licensing blitz, and Aurora's Paramount Theatre leads the bell-bottomed charge into Chicagoland. So here we go again for the first time, I guess.

More than 60 million people in 40 countries on six different continents have reveled in Mamma Mia!, the iconic musical about love and friendship, of lost dreams and that last chance to make it right, all set to the music of ABBA, one of the most popular bands in the world. 

More than 60 million people in 40 countries on six different continents have reveled in Mamma Mia!, the iconic musical about love and friendship, of lost dreams and that last chance to make it right, all set to the music of ABBA, one of the most popular bands in the world. 

The Boy From Oz, presented by Pride Films and Plays, will be directed by David Zak, with musical direction by Robert Ollis and choreography by Cameron Turner. The musical previews tonight, August 5 and Thursday, August 6, with a press opening slated for Friday, August 7 at 7:30. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in costume below!

The Boy From Oz, presented by Pride Films and Plays, will be directed by David Zak, with musical direction by Robert Ollis and choreography by Cameron Turner. The musical previews Wednesday, August 5 and Thursday, August 6, with a press opening slated for Friday, August 7 at 7:30. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the cast in costume below!

The Boy From Oz tells the amazing life story of celebrated songwriter and performer Peter Allen. Featuring songs by Peter Allen, book by Martin Sherman and Nick Enright, Direction by David Zak, Musical Direction by Robert Ollis, and Choreography by Cameron Turner, The Boy From Oz tells the exuberant yet heart-warming true story of a young Australian boy who loved to perform and ended up in the glamorous orbit of Judy Garland and her soon-to-be famous daughter Liza.