The stories of three American families intertwine against the backdrop of a towering slate of historical figures. Together, through a dazzling array of musical styles from the era, they weave a stunning tapestry that reveals both the prejudice and promise of the American experience.  We can’t wait to share with you this triumphant Tony Award-winning musical portrait of America at the turn of the 20th century!  Highland Park Players will reinvent this classic into a dazzling staged-concert featuring an expansive choir, Chicago’s best theatrical talent and a professional 27-piece orchestra that will allow you to experience this magnificent story and music like never before, at the stunning new 550-seat theater, the McGrath Family Performing Arts Center in Wilmette!  

Soulful and stirring, this one-of-a-kind theatrical event breathes new life into the Oedipus myth with a score of powerful gospel music. A bold collaboration from an extraordinary team led by Mark J.P. Hood and Charles Newell, The Gospel at Colonus builds upon the strengths and experiences of its artists to bring this redemptive musical celebration to life on Chicago’s South Side.

Over the last 25 years, RENT, a Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical based loosely on the 1896 Italian opera La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini, has become a cultural phenomenon with millions of fans around the world. Porchlight's production celebrates this legacy and adds a new page to the story of a year in the life of a diverse group of artists struggling to survive and create in Lower Manhattan's East Village under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. In the thriving days of bohemian Alphabet City at the end of the millennium, these friends are determined to follow their dreams without selling out.

Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories and the classic Disney animated film, Disney’s The Little Mermaid is a classic and beautiful love story for the entire family. With music by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, and a compelling book by Doug Wright, this Broadway gem will capture your heart with its irresistible song favorites, including “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl” and “Part of Your World.”

From the moment you step into the theater, this immersive production will make you feel part of Ariel’s world. When she disobeys her father, King Triton, and makes a deal with the evil witch, Ursula, Ariel thinks her dreams have come true. But when the bargain is not what it seems, Ariel needs the help of her colorful friends, Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull, and Sebastian the crab to save her true love and restore order under the sea.Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories and the classic Disney animated film, Disney’s The Little Mermaid is a classic and beautiful love story for the entire family. With music by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, and a compelling book by Doug Wright, this Broadway gem will capture your heart with its irresistible song favorites, including “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl” and “Part of Your World.”

Put on your leisure suits, halter tops, and platform shoes, and get ready to boogie down through 10-years of ground-breaking music! With its propulsive rhythms and dazzling harmonies, 8-TRACK is a fast-paced musical journey through one of the most impassioned decades of the 20th Century. This Baby Boomers’ dream come true features the music of The Emotions, The Carpenters, Labelle, Barry Manilow, Marvin Gaye, The Doobie Brothers, The Bee Gees, Helen Reddy, KC, and the Sunshine Band, and more! Rediscover the heart and soul of the forgotten decade with this joyously rousing, moving, and often downright hilarious musical in concert. You can purchase your tickets here: https://theo-u.com/8-track

Music Theater Works brings this 13-time Tony Award-nominated musical with its rich, award-winning score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens – the lyricist and composer duo behind Once on This Island and Seussical to its stage. Ragtime, based on the E. L. Doctorow, tells the unforgettable story of an upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a young, daring Harlem musician living during the early years of the 20th century. Showcasing the great struggle that accompanies the American Dream and featuring some of the most well-known figures of the time, Ragtime tells the tale of three different individuals who desire a brighter future but must unite to achieve their goals.

Run time approximately 2 hours 45 minutes, including one 15 minute intermission.

The classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed into his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.

Friday | August 27 at 7PM
Saturday, August 28 at 2PM & 7PM
Sunday, August 29 at 3PM

Purchase Tickets Here: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36129/production/1063173

THE ENDURING CLASSIC DRAMA.

Based on a real story from a newspaper clipping in the late nineteenth century, Leoncavallo’s “Clowns” tells the story of a traveling troupe of entertainers who perform for an Italian village. They present a show that becomes increasingly parallel to their actual tumultuous lives—resulting in blurred lines between comedy, tragedy, reality, and performance.

“Pagliacci is the quintessential verismo opera. It’s entertaining, dramatic, and a fantastic option for a first-time opera-goer.” – Christopher Mattaliano, Stage Director

Where: Keller Auditorium

For ticket information please visit: https://www.portlandopera.org/production/pagliacci/#

Jedlicka Performing Arts Center & Visión Latino Theatre Company presents
IN THE HEIGHTS 
Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda 
Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes
Conceived By Lin-Manuel Miranda

​In the Heights  tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, and pressures where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, which ones you leave behind. 

Where: Morton College at the Jedlicka Performing Arts Center

For ticket information please visit: https://www.jpactheatre.com/upcoming-production