Chicago - 1996 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 1

Looking to escape from the hot sun? Why not check out one of the many intriguing offerings at greater Boston venues where this summer’s vibrant theater scene boasts pre-Broadway productions, national tours, and summer-stock productions of everything from Shakespeare to classic and contemporary plays, musicals, and concerts. Bay State audiences have much to look forward to, including:

West End and Broadway star Ruthie Henshall will release her new memoir, The Showgirl and the Prince, detailed her secret relationship with Prince Edward in the 1980s. Learn more here.

La directora residente de producciones como El Rey León, Chicago, Mamma Mia!, La Bella y la Bestia y El Fantasma de la Ópera ha fallecido a los 77 años, dejando una huella imborrable en la industria teatral.

David Ian for Crossroads Live in association with Barry and Fran Weissler has announced the 2027 UK and Ireland tour of the multi award-winning musical CHICAGO. The tour will open at Wimbledon Theatre in the Winter and arrives at Milton Keynes Theatre in the Fall.

When honest artistic integrity meets conservative religious outrage, what follows is escalating frenzy, controlled chaos, and poignant reflections on what it means to produce art and tell the stories where they need to be heard — and the conflicting struggles that come with such intentions. Tin Drum Theatre Company’s Chicago premiere of Southern Rapture, written by Eric Coble and directed by Jason Palmer, holds a brilliantly comical and satirical mirror up to the weaponization of civic institutions and artistic freedom. 

CHICAGO the musical is set to embark on a 2027 UK and Ireland tour. The tour will open at New Wimbledon Theatre in February. Learn more about the tour here.

Tin Drum Theatre Company is presenting the Chicago premiere of Southern Rapture at Theater Wit, written by Eric Coble and directed by Jason Palmer. Get a first look at production photos!

The recipients have been revealed for the 2026 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, which aim to support creators of concert music ranging in age from 13 to 30.

Giordano Dance Chicago will return to the North Shore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie, Ill., for its 64th season, featuring a mix of new and repertoire works reflecting the company's signature style.

Janine LaManna leads the cast of OEDIPUS! A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY at 54 Below, the award-winning musical adaptation that reimagines the Greek tragedy as a rom-com set in Appalachian coal country.

The Tony Awards has revealed the line-up of stage and screen stars slated to appear during the 79th Annual Tony Awards, including Rachel Zegler, Darren Criss, Cole Escola and many more.

Much has been written about the proliferation of pop singer-songwriters writing new musicals for Broadway and off-Broadway. Less covered is the trend of pop singers performing on Broadway, which has made for a number of memorable appearances in current and recent seasons. 

Next month, 54 BELOW, Broadway’s Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond, including Grammy and Emmy winner Will Roland, Tony winner Norm Lewis and more. 

Deep Flight Productions will present an encore engagement of WHO WE BECOME, a program of rarely produced Lanford Wilson one-acts, at Factory Series at the Chain Studio Theatre in New York.

THE NOTEBOOK The Musical was a charming chamber piece when I first read Bekah Brunstetter's adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' breakout bestseller. But the touring version is now playing to bigger houses than either its original Chicago premiere or its New York engagement. With Broadway-extravaganza pretensions. Call me back when a local company decides to mount this musical at an appropriate scale.

The nominations are here for the 2026 Tony Awards. This year, a high number of titles have onscreen counterparts, and we have rounded up how to watch these versions at home, from The Lost Boys to Schmigadoon!

Triple Espresso: A Highly Caffeinated Comedy will return to Minneapolis' Luminary Arts Center for a three-week limited engagement following its 30th Anniversary national tour, with tickets starting at $32.

Friendship is nearly always a side element in musicals. From the comic sidekick of the leading character to the backup pals who provide background vocals, friends are part of the fabric of many shows—but rarely are they the main event. 

The Kenneth Rainin Foundation announced the 2026 recipients of The Rainin Arts Fellowship, an annual program honoring Bay Area artists working in Dance, Film, Public Space, and Theater.

Olney Theatre Center has revealed its 2026-27 season featuring a production of La Cage aux Folles directed by Artistic Director Jason Loewith, Les Misérables, directed by Stephen Brackett and more.

Curious Theatre Branch will launch its 38th Season, with the revival of Talking About Godard, written by Beau O’Reilly and directed by Beau O’Reilly with Briavael O’Reilly.

We had the opportunity to interview Music Director Robert W. Butts about his career, The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey, and the upcoming performance at The Growing Stage.

Today, exactly 114 years after RMS Titanic sank to to the bottom of the North Atlantic, Titanique arrives in New York City at last. The splash-hit musical comedy inspired by the 1997 film Titanic and powered by the songs of Céline Dion, officially opened on Broadway at the St. James Theatre. Check out what the critcis are saying about the production...

Chicago is a musical with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. It premiered on Broadway in 1975, inspired by real-life 1920s murder cases reported by journalist Maurine Dallas Watkins. Initially overshadowed by A Chorus Line, the show achieved iconic status following its 1996 Broadway revival, which went on to become one of the longest‑running productions in Broadway history.

When the original production of Chicago opened on Broadway in 1975, its subtitle read “A Musical Vaudeville.” And as distinctively Bob Fosse-style as it was (and is in this excellent touring production of the 1996 revival), Chicago has always been a slight history of vaudeville.