Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the cast for Porchlight in Concert production Follies, starring (in alphabetical order) Michelle Duffy (Broadway's Leap of Faith, Drury Lane's Sister Act) as "Phyllis Rogers Stone," Alexander Gemignani (Broadway's Assassins and Sweeney Todd) as "Buddy Plummer," Angela Ingersoll (Jeff Award winner for Porchlight's End of the Rainbow) as "Sally Plummer" and Anthony Rapp (Broadway's Rent and If/Then) as "Benjamin Stone," Saturday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 26 at 2 p.m. at the Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave. This staged concert performance features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman and is directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber and music directed by Linda Madonia. Single tickets are reserved seating and are on sale for $24 - $110 at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by phone with the Studebaker Theater box office at 312-753-3210. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave., 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday. 

Additional Porchlight in Concert production of Follies cast members include Anastasia Arnold (Young Sally); Dale Benson (Dmitri Weismann); John Cardone (Max Deems); John Concepcion (Roscoe); Teagan Earley (Young Phyllis);  Felicia P. Fields (Hattie Walker); James Harms (Theodore Whitman); Beck Hokanson (Kevin); Cecilia Iole (Young Heidi); Will Koski (Young Buddy); John Marshall Jr. (Young Ben); Susie McMonagle (Carlotta Campion); Lauren Miller (Heidi Schiller); Mary Robin Roth (Emily Whitman); Genevieve Thiers (Christine Donovan); Sybyl Walker (Solange LaFitte) and Honey West (Stella Deems). 

The full creative team and additional artists will be announced soon.

Porchlight in Concert debuted in 2024 with sold out performances of Sunday in the Park with George. In spring 2026, Porchlight returns to the Studebaker for a limited engagement of another Stephen Sondheim classic, Follies. 

Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Score, Follies is a dazzling and bittersweet exploration of love, loss and the passage of time. Set at the reunion of the legendary "Weismann Follies" company on the eve of their crumbling theater's demolition, former showgirls reunite one last time, reliving their heyday and confronting the choices that shaped their lives. With iconic songs like "Broadway Baby" "I'm Still Here" and "Losing My Mind," this Sondheim gem blends haunting nostalgia with a show-stopping score in a moving celebration of dreams and regrets.

PORCHLIGHT IN CONCERT FOLLIES SPECIAL EVENT

The Creation and History of Follies with Chris Pazdernik

March 28 -  April 18, 2026

Classes offered virtually

Fee: $200

Register at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org

As part of Porchlight's Hobbyist programming, Jeff Award-winner Christopher Pazdernik, with their "near encyclopedic knowledge of musicals" (NewCity), takes participants on a guided tour behind-the-scenes of all things Follies. This four-week class covers the creation of the show and its original production along with major revivals and concerts, including changes made for the London production, which have never again been authorized for use. Guaranteed to be a one-of-a-kind opportunity to do a deep dive into one of the most revered works in the music theatre canon.

ABOUT MICHELLE DUFFY, PHYLLIS ROGERS STONE

Michelle Duffy is delighted beyond words to have returned to her beloved Chicago (after a 30+ year hiatus!) and deeply thrilled to be a part of this concert singing one of her all-time favorite Sondheim scores. Other recent Chicagoland appearances: "Mother Superior" in Sister Act at Drury Lane Oakbrook and "Bonnie" and others in Come From Away at Paramount. Broadway: OBC of Leap of Faith (OBCast album); OQ-Broadway: Originated "Ms. Fleming/Veronica's Mom" in Heathers the Musical (Original Cast Album). Other recent regional: "Irene Adler" and others in Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apt. 2B at Arizona Theatre Company and "Mrs. Dashwood/Anne" in Sense and Sensibility at Northern Stage. She has appeared in principal roles in theatres across the country and around the world such as The Guthrie, ACT, The Old Globe, The Goodman, Milwaukee Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Pittsburgh Public and The Barbican in London to name a few, and as a guest star in many television shows; most recently "Dark Matter," "Law and Order," "Chicago PD" and "Succession." 

ABOUT ALEXANDER GEMIGNANI, BUDDY PLUMMER

Alexander Gemignani is an actor, artistic director, music supervisor/music director, orchestrator, arranger, conductor, composer/lyricist and educator. 

As an actor on Broadway: My Fair Lady ("Doolittle"), Carousel ("Enoch Snow" - Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Grammy nominations), Violet ("Father"), Chicago ("Billy"), Les Misérables ("Valjean" - Drama League nomination), Sweeney Todd (Beadle - Drama Desk nomination), Assassins ("Hinckley" - Theatre World Award), The People In The Picture ("Moishe") and Sunday in the Park With George ("Boatman/Dennis"). 

Off- Broadway: Road Show at the Public ("Addison Mizner" - Drama League nomination), Headstrong at EST ("Nick"), and Avenue Q at the Vineyard Theatre ("Brian"). Favorite Regional: Inherit the Wind ("Brady") at the Goodman,  Hamilton in Chicago ("King George III," original cast), Big Fish ("Edward Bloom") at The Marriott Lincolnshire, The Three Sisters ("Andrei") at Cincinnati Playhouse, The Boys From Syracuse ("Sergeant") at The Shakespeare Theatre of D.C. and the title character in the world premiere musical Saint-Ex at The Weston Playhouse. T.V./Film: "Étoile" (AMAZON), "Servant" (APPLE TV), "Empire" (FOX - Recurring), "Chicago Fire" (NBC), "Homeland" (SHOWTIME - Recurring), "The Good Wife" (CBS), "Empire State" (ABC pilot), the film "The Producers" (UNIVERSAL), three appearances on "The Tony Awards" (CBS) and season 5 of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" as "Janusz" (AMAZON - recurring). 

Concerts: The N.Y. Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall, The N.Y. Pops at Carnegie Hall, The L.A. Philharmonic at The Hollywood Bowl and the American Songbook Series at Lincoln Center. His solo show, All At Once, premiered at the Kennedy Center as a part of Barbara Cook's Spotlight Series. He served as music supervisor, arranger and conductor for Here We Are, Sondheim's final musical (book by David Ives, directed by Joe Mantello). 

As a music supervisor, he was represented Off-Broadway with Fiasco Theatre's production of Merrily We Roll Along at the Roundabout (also penned new orchestrations) and also served as music supervisor/music director and conductor for the 2019/2020 revival of West Side Story. Additionally, he conducted the New York Philharmonic on New Year's Eve 2019 with the concert, Celebrating Sondheim, featuring symphonic suites, which aired on Live From Lincoln Center. 

Other projects include an upcoming new production of john & jen (music supervision and arrangements), Whiskeyland (orchestrations and arrangements) and My Ántonia (orchestrations and co-arrangements), premiering at Theatre Latté Da, spring 2026. 

As a composer/lyricist, he is developing three new musicals, Diamond Alice (music/lyrics) swingset/moon (music and co-lyrics) and Broken Eggs (lyrics) and has composed the incidental music for several plays. 

He is an associate professor of Instruction at Northwestern University and has also served on the faculty of the National Theatre Institute at The O'Neill, NYU Steinhardt and CAP21. He has been guest faculty for the University Of Michigan, Texas State University, Syracuse University (Tepper) and NYU Tisch School Of The Arts. 

He is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Writing Workshop, holds a certificate in Orchestration for Film and TV from Berklee College of Music and holds a BFA in musical theatre from The University of Michigan. 

He is a member of Actor's Equity, SAG/AFTRA and Local 802 AFM. 2018 marked the beginning of his tenure as artistic director for the National Music Theater Conference at The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, where he has helped shepherd over 30 new musicals. He is also the artistic director of the National Music Theater Institute at the O'Neill, a semester-long intensive Music Theatre performance training program. 

His greatest joys are his incredible wife, Erin Ortman, and their beautiful daughter.

ABOUT ANGELA INGERSOLL, SALLY DURANT PLUMMER 

Angela Ingersoll is an Emmy-nominated and multi-award-winning actress, singer, producer, director and writer. She received an Emmy Award nomination for the PBS broadcast of her national concert tour "Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland." She also won acclaim starring as Judy Garland in several productions of "End of the Rainbow," receiving Chicago's Jeff Award, a BroadwayWorld Award and Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year in Theatre. Also: How to Succeed in Business ... ("Hedy," Jeff nomination), The Mistress Cycle ("Anais Nin," Jeff nomination), The Secret Garden ("Martha," Jeff nomination), South Pacific ("Nellie"), Carousel ("Julie"), Jekyll and Hyde ("Lucy," Ostrander Award), Disney's Beauty and the Beast ("Belle," Ostrander Award), Man of La Mancha ("Aldonza," Ostrander nomination), Ragtime ("Evelyn Nesbit," Ostrander nomination), Macbeth ("Lady Macbeth," Ostrander Award), Much Ado About Nothing ("Beatrice"), Richard III ("Lady Anne"), The Wizard of Oz ("Dorothy") and The Second City (Chicago and Hollywood). Other television: "Chicago PD." Other concerts include her one-woman show "The 12 Dames of Christmas" and appearances alongside her husband, entertainer and producer Michael Ingersoll. Ingersoll is the artistic director of Artists Lounge Live, a Chicago-based production company presenting concerts nationwide.  She writes and directs many of their offerings.

ABOUT ANTHONY RAPP, BENJAMIN STONE

Anthony Rapp is thrilled to return to live and work in the city of his birth. Chicago is also where he earned his Equity card 45 years ago, when he was nine years old. He has since appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in National Tours, at Regional Theatres and in films and on television. But his proudest work these days is as the father, with his husband Ken, of their two sons, Rai (aged 3) and Keony (aged 2).

ABOUT MICHAEL WEBER, director 

Michael Weber is a nationally recognized, award-winning director, producer, actor and educator. Previous Porchlight productions include Sunday in the Park with George, Anything Goes, Cabaret, Sunset Boulevard, Gypsy and Merrily We Roll Along. He recently directed the Off-Broadway and European premieres of both Shake it Away: The Ann Miller Story and Call Me Elizabeth, written by and starring Kayla Boye. Under his artistic leadership, Porchlight Music Theatre was awarded Chicago's Jeff Award for "Best Production" six times. He previously served as artistic director for the inaugural season of Chicago's Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (now Broadway in Chicago's Broadway Playhouse) and at Theatre at the Center in Munster, Indiana. The recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards, he has been nominated for nine awards and he wrote and directed 14 Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremonies (2006-2018). Weber's regional acting credits include The Merry Widow (starring Renée Fleming) at Lyric Opera, Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy (both starring Patti LuPone) at Ravinia Festival, The Winter's Tale and Henry V at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and more. A board member of The League of Chicago Theatres, he is author of the play WAR of the WELLeS (about Orson Welles' infamous radio broadcast) and he is a longtime pledge host for PBS station WTTW channel 11.

ABOUT LINDA MADONIA, music director

Linda Madonia is thrilled to be back at Porchlight where she recently music directed the ICONS Gala Celebrating Leslie Uggams and previously worked on Titanique, Broadway in your Backyard, Anything Goes, Cabaret and A Chorus Line. Other recent projects include Legally Blonde: The Musical, Shrek the Musical, Mamma Mia! and Camelot at Music Theater Works and Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages and Sister Act at Mercury Theater Chicago. Linda also serves as the contractor for the Chicago Federation of Musicians for Porchlight Music Theatre, Music Theater Works and Teatro Zinzanni. She is the vocal coach for the master's degree program in music theatre pedagogy at Carthage College and owns American Eagle Productions, which has been at the forefront of theatre education in the Chicago area for the past 35 years.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 31st season, is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach, we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals, supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago's most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the "Chicago Style." 

Porchlight's history over nearly three decades includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. 

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form. 

The company's many honors include 178 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 49 Jeff awards, as well as 44 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 15 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards and has been honored with seven awards in this tier to date including Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies (2019) and Best Production-Revue for Blues in the Night (2022). 

Through the global pandemic, Porchlight emerged as one of Chicago's leaders in virtual programming, quickly launching a host of free offerings like Sondheim @ 90 Roundtables, Movie Musical Mondays, Porchlight by Request: Command Performances and WPMT: Classic Musicals from the Golden Age of Radio. In 2021, Porchlight launched its annual summer series, Broadway in your Backyard, performing at parks and venues throughout the city which continues this summer. 

Join Hell in Handbag Productions for its 2025 benefit, The Handbag Follies, featuring dinner, drinks, entertainment, a raffle, silent auction and more on Sunday, December 7, 2025 from 5:30 – 9 pm at Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster Ave. in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. Tickets ($104 general admission, $129.75*) are available here. *Prices include processing fees.

Handbag celebrates its 24^th year with a very abbreviated production of Follies – performed Hell in a Handbag style! Watch as aging showgirls, draped in sequined desperation, reunite to belt out twisted parodies of Stephen Sondheim's most iconic numbers including "I'm Still Here," "Losing My Mind," "Broadway Baby," "Beautiful Girls" and other favorites  It'll be the hits you love and a show you'll desperately try to forget (with apologies in advance to the spirit of Mr. Sondheim).

The entertainment line-up features ensemble members David Cerda, Sydney Genco, Caitlin Jackson, Ed Jones, Lori Lee, David Lipschutz, Stevie Love, T.J. O'Brien, Michael Rashid, Danne W. Taylor and Robert Williams, along with some surprise guests.

All proceeds benefit Hell in a Handbag Productions. From camp classics to bold new works, the Handbag ensemble is committed to celebrating the city's diverse community through the lens of the ridiculous, the theatrical and the wonderfully queer.

About Hell in a Handbag Productions

Hell in a Handbag is dedicated to the preservation, exploration, and celebration of works ingrained in the realm of popular culture via theatrical productions through parody, music and homage. Handbag is a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit. For additional information, visit handbagproductions.org.

Chicago, IL — The Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago (BACA) has announced the winners of the 2025 Black Excellence Awards, honoring and celebrating Chicago theatre, dance, music, film, literary, and visual artists. The 24^th annual event was held on Monday, November 3, 2025, at Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark St. in Chicago.

Throughout the evening, Special Honor Awards were presented to: Pemon Rami (Excellence in Film); Eve L. Ewing (Excellence in Literature); and Professor Roxanne Stevenson (Excellence in Music and Music Education).

The complete list of 2025 Black Excellence Awards winners is as follows:

Dance

• Outstanding Achievement in Dance – Overall Performance: Praize Productions - Complexions
• Outstanding Achievement in Dance – Choreographer: Rasheida Smith, Love Jones - Move Me Soul

Literature

• Excellence in Community Engagement – Literature: The Underground Bookstore

Music

• Outstanding Achievement in Music – Male Performer: Gregory Gibbs
• Outstanding Achievement in Music – Female Performer: Lucy Smith

Theater

• Outstanding Achievement in Theater – Production: If You Think You're Lonely Now - Theater 47
• Outstanding Achievement in Theater – Director: Daryl D. Brooks, That's What Friends Are For: Gladys, Dionne, and Patti - Black Ensemble Theater
• Outstanding Achievement in Theater – Male Performer: Ronald L. Conner, Fat Ham - Definition Theatre
• Outstanding Achievement in Theater – Female Performer: Rhonda Preston, Blue Eyed Soul Song by Brown Eyed People - Black Ensemble Theater
• Special Recognition Theater – Director: Malika Stampley, Primary Trust - Goodman Theatre
• Special Recognition Theater – Performer: Gregory Fenner, Topdog/Underdog - The Gift Theatre

Visual Arts

• Outstanding Achievement in Visual Arts – Artist: Dayo Layo - "Watercolors"
• Outstanding Achievement in Visual Arts – Gallery Exhibition: Faie African Art Gallery

Special Honor Awards:

• Special Recognition Excellence in Literature – Fiction: Eve L. Ewing
• Special Recognition Excellence in Film: Pemon Rami
• Special Recognition for Excellence as a Music Director and Jazz Educator: Professor Roxanne Stevenson

About The Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago

The mission of the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago is to collectively advance excellence in the work of the Black arts and culture sector. The Alliance works to increase interaction, communication and development of black arts organizations and artists, while delivering programs that increase their visibility, marketability, stability, and sustainability.

Founded in 1997 as the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago and rebranded the

Black Arts & Cultural Alliance of Chicago (BACA) in 2023, BACA offers a diverse range of events and programs that celebrate the rich heritage of the Black arts community in Chicago. Events and programs are designed to engage, educate, and inspire individuals (artists and patrons) who are passionate about Chicago's Black arts and culture.

With new leadership in November 2024, the organization has been reorganized and revitalized, including a return to its original mission and a new focus in building the Board and programming, increasing membership, and creating websites that appropriately support BACA's mission and purpose.

BACA is going strong after 28 years, with a full slate of events and programs celebrating the rich heritage of the Black arts community in Chicago.

In August 2025, BACA launched the Black Arts Directory of Chicago to serve as a vibrant online hub for African American and minority performing arts and culture in Chicago and beyond. The directory spotlights theatre, dance, music, and cultural events to celebrate rich artistic traditions. BACA prioritizes connecting audiences with diverse cultural experiences, showcasing the talents of Black and Brown artists that showcase the dynamic ingenuity and creativity of Chicago's Black artists and organizations. It celebrates the rich narratives, historical relevance and artistic expressions that define African American and minority performing arts.

To find out more and view the Black Arts Directory visit https://www.blackartsdirectory.org/. The Black Arts Directory is made possible by an Arts Recovery Program grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

The BACA staff is Executive Director Luther Goins, Grants Writer & Development Manager Ilesa Duncan, and PR, Marketing & Design Director Doc Wheeler. The Board of Directors includes President Jackie Taylor, Vice President Sydney Chatman, and members Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Troy O. Pryor, Portia McFarland, William Gill, Ericka Ratcliff, Shawn Wallace, Daryl D. Brooks, and Roxanna Conner.

Upcoming BACA Events and Programs include:

Martin Luther King Celebration: The Black Arts & Culture Town Hall

January 19, 2026

This celebration and panel discussion honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and discusses the challenges and commonalities faced by Black artists and arts organizations and will launch the 2026 Black to Black Workshop Series.

Black to Black Series: Entertainment Business for the Black Artist

March 2026

Workshops

Black to Black Series: Working & Thriving in Chicago

May 2026

Panel Discussion

Cookout In The Blackyard Summer Networking Event

August 2026

Join BACA for an amazing networking opportunity featuring barbecue, drink, music, and fun.

Black to Black Series: History & Fundamentals of Black Organizations

October 2026

Workshops & Auditions

Black Excellence Awards

November 2026

Black Arts Hall of Fame 2026

November 2026

About Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago (BACA)
The mission of the Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago is to collectively advance excellence in the work of the Black arts and culture sector. The Alliance works to increase interaction, communication and development of black arts organizations and artists, while delivering programs that increase their visibility, marketability, stability, and sustainability.

For tickets, event updates, and more information about the Black Arts and Culture Alliance of Chicago, visit https://www.bacachi.org/.

Goodman Theatre announced today that its highly-anticipated presentation of Theater of the Mind, by Academy, Grammy and Tony Award-winning artist David Byrne (Broadway’s Here Lies Love with Fatboy Slim, American Utopia and the renowned group Talking Heads) with writer Mala Gaonkar, will make its Chicago debut March 11 – May 31, 2026 (opening night is March 25, 2026) at the Reid Murdoch Building, 333 N. LaSalle. Tickets ($66-$96, subject to change) will be available for sale starting Friday, November 7 at 10 am, at the Goodman Theatre Box Office (170 N. Dearborn), by calling 312.443.3800 or by purchasing online at TheaterOfTheMindChicago.com. The Goodman is grateful for the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Illinois Office of Tourism, Northern Trust, and Friedman Properties.

“The Goodman is thrilled to introduce Theater of the Mind to Chicago audiences and to showcase the singular creativity of David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar,” said Goodman Theatre Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth. “Our Centennial Season welcomes audiences to experience all of the ‘feels’ and Theater of the Mind engages all of the senses, making it a perfect addition to our landmark season. We hope for this production to be an ongoing attraction that sparks joy, conversation and community.”

A one-of-a-kind theatrical experience audiences will see, feel, taste, and hear, this intimate and immersive journey of how we perceive and create our worlds is inspired by both historical and current neuroscience research. Under Director Andrew Scoville and Technology Director Heidi Boisvert, PhD, Theater of the Mind is a 15,000-square-foot immersive experience taking just sixteen audience members at a time through a 75-minute journey of self-reflection, discovery, and imagination, inspired by and grounded in neuroscience.

"Mala and I have long been fascinated by the science behind these experiences; though reading about the phenomena involved is exciting, it’s quite something else to actually experience it,” said co-creator David Byrne. “It’s a different level of understanding, a different kind of knowledge—visceral, immediate, and profound. The film and theater adage ‘show, don’t tell’ became a guiding principle in discovering a way to include these experiences in an entertaining and engaging show. A show in which the audience makes many of the inferences for themselves, without being told by us what it means. For me, the broader implications that these phenomena have in our lives, our sense of the world, and our sense of self is key.”

“For a few years, David and I partnered with several cognitive neuroscience labs to see how some of the most basic human intuitions determine how humans react," said co-creator Mala Gaonkar. "What we concluded was that the experiments and ideas of the labs we partnered with, several of which we embedded in our narrative, seemed as engaging as any piece of theater. We began referring to this project as a ‘Neuro Funhouse,’ but as we worked on it, we came to realize that it was evolving to be something more than that. It has made us rethink some of our own beliefs and assumptions, to see ourselves and the world in a different way. We hope that it might have a similar effect on our audience—and think of science and theater in a new way."

Led by a Guide whose stories are inspired from the creators' lives, audiences will explore how they perceive the world through sensory experiments that reveal the inner mysteries of the brain. Casting for the multiple roles of the Guide will be announced after the new year.

Caution: the brain may wander! Side effects may include a distrust of your own senses, a disorientation of self, and a mild to severely good time. You may not be who you think you are. But we're all in it together.

Theater of the Mind had its World Premiere on August 31, 2022, at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Starting March 11, Theater of the Mind will be staged Tuesday evenings starting at 6 pm; Wednesday afternoons starting at 2 pm and evenings starting at 6 pm; Thursday evenings starting at 6 pm; Friday evenings starting at 5 pm; Saturday afternoons starting at noon and evenings at 6 pm; and Sunday afternoons starting at 12:30 pm. Performances begin every 15 minutes, and each includes 16 audience members. A complete schedule can be found at theaterofthemindchicago.com.

ABOUT THE CREATORS

David Byrne (Co-Creator) is a musician, performer, writer, and multidisciplinary artist whose creative ventures have captivated audiences since 1975, when he co-founded the renowned group Talking Heads. In addition to Theater of the Mind, recent works include Here Lies Love, a musical with music by Byrne and Fatboy Slim (2023), SOCIAL! at The Park Avenue Armory, the Broadway production of Byrne’s American Utopia (2019) as well as the Spike Lee-directed film version (2020), the launch of his Reasons to be Cheerful online magazine (2019), and the solo album American Utopia (2018). To date, Byrne has published five books including How Music Works (2012).

Mala Gaonkar (Co-Creator) has more than 20 years of experience investing behind technology trends. She was a founding partner of the investment management firm Lone Pine Capital in 1998. In 2022, Gaonkar launched her own firm, SurgoCap Partners, focused on the disruptive effects of technology within broad industry categories. Gaonkar’s focus is on multi-disciplinary thinking, including using the tools of data science, artificial intelligence, and behavioral science to solve problems.  She has embraced this approach both through her investing career as well as through Surgo Ventures, a foundation that she co-founded in 2015. Gaonkar is a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Business School.

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS

Andrew Scoville (Director), a native of west suburban Elmhurst, is a New York-based theater director specializing in immersive layouts, technological landscapes, and hybrid-genre theater-making with an emphasis on integrating science ideas into theatrical experiences. Credits include The Brobot Johnson Experience (Bushwick Starr, The New York Times Critics' Pick), Escape the Planet (NY Hall of Science commission with astronomer Moiya McTier),  People Doing Math podcast and, as Associate director: Here Lies Love (dir. Alex Timbers, Public Theater, National Theater UK, Seattle Rep), Sweeney Todd (dir Bill Buckhurst, Barrow Street Theater), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (dir Alex Timbers, Broadway).

Heidi Boisvert, PhD (Technology Director) is an interdisciplinary artist, experience designer, creative technologist, and researcher investigating the neurobiological and socio-cultural impacts of media and technology. Her work focuses on how the body, senses, and emotions influence perception and social change. She is currently mapping the world’s first media genome with careful attention to its ethical implications. She founded future Perfect lab, a creative agency and think tank that works with social justice organizations to design playful emerging media campaigns to transform the public imagination. She also co-founded XTH, a company developing novel forms of expression through biotechnology and the human body.

ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE

As previously announced, Theater of the Mind makes its Midwest debut during The Goodman’s Centennial 25/26 Season. Since 1925, The Goodman has been a theatrical home for artists and a gathering space for community. It’s where stories come to life—bold in artistry and rich in history, deeply rooted in the city it serves. Led by Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, The Goodman sparks conversation, connection, and change through new plays, reimagined classics, and large-scale musicals. With distinctions including world and American premieres, Pulitzer Prizes, Tony Awards, and Joseph Jefferson Awards, The Goodman is proud to be the first theater to produce all 10 plays of August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” But The Goodman believes a more empathetic, more connected Chicago is created one story at a time and counts as its greatest legacy the community it’s built. The Goodman was founded by William O. Goodman and his family to honor the memory of Kenneth Sawyer Goodman—a visionary playwright whose bold ideas helped shape Chicago’s early cultural renaissance. That spirit of creativity and generosity endures today.

Music Theater Works is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the third production of its 2025 season, Godspell, sponsored by the Whirled Peas Foundation and presented in partnership with Curt’s Café, in the North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, October 23 - November 16. Godspell, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by John Michael Tebelak, is directed by Matthew Silar, choreographed by Amanda Hope and music directed by Justin Kono. The production includes a preview performance Thursday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. with a press opening Friday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. The schedule is Wednesdays at 2 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., with additional performances on Saturdays, Nov. 1, Nov. 8 and Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. Tickets are now on sale from $19.50 to $106 with tickets for guests 25 years old and younger available at half-price at MusicTheaterWorks.com or by calling the Music Theater Works box office at the North Shore Center, 847.673.6300. Group discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more by contacting 847.920.5360.

Day by day for more than 50 years, audiences have delighted in this modern musical fable. Godspell  weaves together music, improv and infectious pop and rock songs including the hits “Day by Day,” “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord,” “O Bless the Lord My Soul” and more. This Godspell finds a fractured and disconnected community gathered at a local coffee shop discovering the transformative power of forgiveness and embracing radical love. 

The cast of Godspell includes, in alphabetical order: P-Jay Adams (she/they, ensemble/U/S); Brandon Acosta (he/him, ensemble/U/S); Diana Marilyn Alvarez (she/they, swing); Maxwell J DeTogne (he/him, Maxwell, U/S Jesus); Tafadzwa Diener (Tafadzwa, she/her); Kaitlin Feely (Kaitlin, she/her); Emily Holland (she/her, ensemble/U/S); Nicholas Ian (Nicholas, any); Jenna Makkawy (she/they, ensemble/U/S); Dani Pike (Dani, she/her); Connor Ripperger (Connor, he/they); Concetta Russo (Concetta, she/her); Jacob Simon (he/they, John the Baptist/Judas); Ethan Smith (he/him, ensemble/U/S John the Baptist/Judas); Eldon Warner-Soriano (he/him, Jesus); Ben Woods (Ben, he/him) and Alex Villaseñor (swing, he/him).

Godspell’s orchestra includes Justin Kono (he/him, conductor/drums); Linda Madonia (she/her, piano); Kyle Paul (he/him, guitars) and Marcel Bonfirm (he/him, bass).

Godspell’s creative team is Matthew Silar (he/him, director); Amanda Hope (she/her, choreographer); Justin Kono (he/him, music director); Becca Holloway (she/her, asst. director); Amber Wuttke (she/her, intimacy & violence choreographer); Kathy Logelin (she/her, dialect coach); Blue Darner Dupuis (they/them, stage manager); Carolyn Goldsmith (she/her, asst. stage manager); Bob Knuth (he/him, scenic designer); Nga Sze Chan (she/her, props designer); Kristen Brinati (she/her, costume designer/wardrobe crew); Melanie Saso (she/her, hair, wig, makeup designer); Levi J. Wilkins (he/him, lighting designer); Chelsea Lynn (she/her, board programmer); Forrest Gregor (he/him, sound designer); Mitchell Finger (technical director); Will Hughes (he/him, Andersonville Scenic Studios) and Ben Lipinski (any, Andersonville Scenic Studios).

“Behind the Curtain with Thomas M. Shea”

Immediately following the Sunday, Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 matinees, audiences may join musical theater historian Thomas M. Shea, author of “Broadway’s Most Wanted,” for a post-show talk exploring the behind-the-scenes history of Godspell.

Binny’s Broadway Lounge

Music Theater Works’ Donors of any level and subscribers are welcome to access Binny’s Broadway Lounge before the performance and at intermission of Godspell. Binny’s Broadway Lounge, sponsored by Binny’s Beverage Depot, is located on the second floor at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie and offers complimentary drinks and snacks and does not require reservations. The Lounge is available during Godspell, Wednesday, Oct. 29 (opens at 1 p.m.) and Saturday, Nov. 1 (opens at 6:30 p.m.).  

ASL Interpreted Performance

The Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. performance will be ASL interpreted.

Curt’s Café Day at Godspell

At the Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. performance of Godspell, Music Theater Works will celebrate Curt’s Café and its mission including hosting representatives of Curt’s Café to discuss Curt’s impact has had on youth for more than a decade at a discussion immediately following the matinee. 

ABOUT MATTHEW SILAR, DIRECTOR

Matthew Silar is a Chicago-based director, stage manager and acting coach. Recent Chicago directing credits include Citadel Theatre’s productions of She Loves Me (Jeff Nomination) and Little Shop Of Horrors, as well as Daddy Long Legs (Awaken Theatre). Other directing credits include Annie, The Spongebob Musical and Matilda The Musical (Firehouse Theatre), Kate Fodor’s 100 Saints You Should Know, Lee Blessing’s Two Rooms (Acu) and a slew of educational productions. He’s worked across Chicagoland and the country as an AEA stage manager including Paramount Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, The Rev Theatre Company, and more. He holds a BFA in theatre directing from Abilene Christian University and is a proud associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. 

ABOUT JUSTIN KONO, MUSIC DIRECTOR

Justin Kono is a drummer, percussionist, pianist, arranger, orchestrator and conductor of uncommon range. Recent Music Theater Works credits include Little Shop of Horrors, Legally Blonde: the Musical and Shrek (drums and electronic music design) and Pippin (music direction, conductor, drums and electronic music design). Other recent credits include the Chicago company of Titanique (drums and electronic music design) by Porchlight Music Theatre and Rock of Ages and Jersey Boys with Mercury Theater (drums, electronic music design). Kono has also played at Drury Lane Oakbrook, many Porchlight Music Theatre shows and events, Teatro ZinZanni and the Marriott Theater, where he will be the local cover for the role of “Fluke” in Million Dollar Quartet Christmas this coming holiday season. In addition to theater activities, he is a music director and accompanist at First Congregational Church in Downers Grove and the handbell choir director at First United Methodist Church of Downers Grove. 

Music Theater Works 2025 Season

The 45th season concludes with Annie, December 18, 2025 - January 4, 2026. For more information on the 45th season go to MusicTheaterWorks.com. 

Music Theater Works 2026 Season

The 46th season opens with CATS, March 5 - 29, 2026 and is followed by West Side Story, August 3 - 30, 2026. The season will continue with Jimmy Buffet’s Escape to Margaritaville, October 8 - November 1, 2026 and concludes with Hairspray, December 17, 2026 - January 3, 2027. Current members may renew for the 2026 season now with new memberships available beginning Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 12 p.m. and single tickets for all the 2026 productions will go on sale Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026 at 12 p.m. For more information on the 46th season go to MusicTheaterWorks.com. 

ABOUT CURT’S CAFÉ

Curt’s Café is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers workforce training, life skills and supportive resources to young adults (ages 15 – 24) who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, involvement with the justice system or other challenges. Curt’s Cafe has two fully operating cafés, offering a variety of breakfast, lunch, coffee drinks and catering services located in Highland Park and Evanston to serve both Lake County and Cook County.

Curt’s was established in 2012 and has served over 650 students since opening. The students are creating better futures—and community support drives that change. To learn more about Curt’s Café, please visit CurtsCafe.org or follow them on social @curtscafe.

ABOUT MUSIC THEATER WORKS

Music Theater Works is a resident professional not-for-profit music theater founded in

1980. During its 45-year history it has presented more than 150 productions and intimate presentations. Music Theater Works is a professional theater company whose mission is to present works for the musical stage including historic repertoire, revitalizing the Golden Age of Broadway and earlier works, celebrating the Great American Songbook and introducing modern classics. 

The Godspell production sponsor is Whirled Peas Foundation.

Music Theater Works presents

Godspell

October 23 - November 16

North Theatre

North Shore Center For The Performing Arts In Skokie

9501 Skokie Blvd.

Skokie, IL 60077

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Book by John Michael Tebelak

Directed by Matthew Silar

Choreographed by Amanda Hope

Music Directed by Justin Kono

Show dates and times:

Thursday, Oct.  23 – 7:30 p.m. – Preview

Friday, Oct. 24 – 7 p.m. – Press Performance

Saturday, Oct.  25 – 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct.  26 – 2 p.m. – Talk Back with Thomas M. Shea

Wednesday, Oct.  29 – 2 p.m. – Binny’s Broadway Lounge (opens at 1 p.m.)

Friday, Oct.  31 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 1 – 2 p.m. 

Saturday, Nov. 1 – 7:30 p.m. – Binny’s Broadway Lounge (opens at 6:30 p.m.)

Sunday, Nov. 2 – 2: p.m. – Talk Back with Thomas M. Shea

Wednesday, Nov. 5 – 2 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 7 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 8 – 2 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 8 – 7:30 p.m. – ASL Interpreted performance

Sunday, Nov. 9 – 2 p.m. - Curt’s Café Day

Wednesday, Nov. 12 – 2 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 14 – 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 15 – 2 and 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 16 – 2 p.m.

Tickets: $19.50 to $106, tickets for guests 25 years old and younger are available for half- price.

Music Theater Works Box Office: (847) 673-6300

Website: MusicTheaterWorks.com

Total Running Time, including intermission, (currently): Two hours and 10 minutes

Chicago - Jackie Taylor, the author of more than 100 plays and musical bios, thousands of poems, a screenplay, and two books, has been selected as the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s 2025 Fuller Award recipient in honor of her lifetime achievements. Taylor will be celebrated at a ceremony on Monday, October 20, at her Black Ensemble Theater (4450 N. Clark Street). Registration is open. Presenters will include Jeff Award-winning director Daryl Brooks, UIC Associate Professor of Theatre Lydia R. Diamond, poet and author Haki Madhubuti, and Harvey Young, Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Boston University. The American Writers Museum is a major partner in the program. 

The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame selection committee consisted of past Fuller Award recipient Patricia Smith, Linda Bubon, Yoland Nieves, Ugochi Nwaogwugwu, and Keehnen Owens. During the stringent selection process, the committee considered dozens of outstanding candidates, evaluating the quality of their literary output, the strength of their Chicago connections, and their greater contributions to Chicago’s literary life.

Born August 10, 1951 in Chicago, Taylor was raised in the Cabrini Green housing project. Taylor founded Black Ensemble Theatre in 1976, a year after she made her Hollywood acting debut in the now classic film Cooley High.  

Taylor majored in theater with an education minor, and after earning her B.A. from Loyola University in 1973, she began working with Free Street Theater. In addition to her acting break in 1975's Cooley High she produced and starred in television and film - as well as in theatrical productions with such companies as the Goodman Theater, Organic Theater and Victory Gardens Theater. Early in her career, Taylor concluded that Hollywood’s depiction of African Americans would continue to be largely negative, which led to her to found Black Ensemble Theater, according to her biography at History Makers. Since the start, Taylor has written, produced, and directed stories that cut across racial and cultural lines. Her mission, she says, is to bring people together.

Among Taylor’s many writing credits are The Other Cinderella, The Hoochie Coochie Man: Muddy Waters (co-written with Jimmy Tillman), The Marvin Gaye Story, The Jackie Wilson Story, All In Love Is Fair, I Am Who I Am (The Story of Teddy Pendergrass), Don’t Make Me Over (The Story of Dionne Warwick), Don’t Shed A Tear (The Billie Holiday Story), Somebody Say Amen, At Last: A Tribute To Etta James, and Precious Lord Take My Hand. She has had featured roles in several major films, including Hoodlum, Barbershop 2, The Father Clements Story, Losing Isiah and To Sir With Love: Part 2, and worked with such greats as Sidney Poitier, Laurence Fishburne, Vanessa Williams, Bill Dukes, Glynn Thurman, and Lawrence Hilton Jacobs.  

In 2010, Taylor broke ground on a new 20-million-dollar Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, which opened on November 18, 2011. The Free To Be Village development, introduced in 2023, aims to expand the existing campus, in part to offer affordable housing to artists in the community and establish an education program. The project’s goal is to reinforce and grow the theater’s mission of reducing inequality in the arts. 

Taylor earned a master’s degree in education and receive an honorary doctorate degree from DePaul University. She has worked for the Chicago Board of Education, the Illinois Arts Council, and Urban Gateways. Through the years, Taylor has taught every grade level from kindergarten through major universities. She served as president of the African American Arts Alliance and is on the board of the Betty Shabazz International Schools.

The City of Chicago honored her by naming a street after her, Jackie Taylor Street, and Governor Pat Quinn declared March 27, 2009, Jackie Taylor day in Illinois.

Taylor’s many awards include a Special Jeff Award for her cultural contributions and a League of Chicago Theater Lifetime Achievement Award. She has been named as an outstanding performer, director, and business woman by dozens of media outlets, including New City, Chicago Defender, Today’s Chicago Woman Magazine, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times. She and her work have been featured in Jet, Variety, the New York Times, The Washington Post and Essence.

Registration closes when the theater reaches capacity.

See Chicago Dance, the dance industry's nonprofit service organization celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, is proud to announce organizations and performers participating in Chicago Dance Month, May 31 - June 28. Now in its 12th year, Chicago Dance Month provides more than 30 artists and companies the opportunity to share why Chicago’s dance scene is so strong. This summer celebration, featuring many free events, begins with a Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration, Saturday, May 31 at 3 p.m. at Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave.

“For the last 20 years, See Chicago Dance has been connecting audiences to dance and dance artists to the resources they need,” said See Chicago Dance Executive Director Julia Mayer. “Dance Month is the most visible example of how we do both. This June, by partnering with Navy Pier and Night Out in the Parks, we are providing 34 artists and companies (out of 108 applicants) with performance opportunities in 14 different events. More than 50% of them are performing in Dance Month for the first time, demonstrating the relevance of this program and the vitality and growth of the Chicago dance community in recent years.”

Mayer continues, "Over the last 12 years of the program, curation decisions have been internally managed by SCD staffers. With recent organizational changes, we saw the opportunity to make the curation process more participatory and equitable. So, this year, we piloted the Community Curatorial Committee, a cohort of community members [makers, performers, administrators and the like] representing the breadth and dynamism of Chicago's dancing communities. We are thrilled with their selections and cannot wait for the larger public to experience this year's lineup!" In addition to the events listed below, See Chicago Dance will highlight the work of scores of artists and organizations during this citywide celebration. Chicago Dance 

Month events and Hot Deal discount offers will be added to future releases and updated regularly on the organization’s newly re-designed, state-of-the-art website, SeeChicagoDance.com.

EVENTS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED INCLUDE*:

Chicago Dance Month Kickoff Celebration Navy Pier’s Lake Stage, 600 E. Grand Ave. Saturday, May 31 3 - 5 p.m. FREE

Chicago Dance Month begins with an opening celebration at Chicago’s Navy Pier featuring a dynamic mix of performances from companies and artists that span genres and cultural traditions. Audiences are encouraged to bring a blanket, have a picnic and enjoy the performances.

The Chicago Kickoff Celebration performers include Ayodele Drum and Dance, Chicago Dance Crash**, Chicago Mexican Folkloric Dance Company**, Hiplet NEXT**, MOMENTA Dance Company, Natya Dance Theatre, Praize Productions, Inc. and Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater.

Pier Dance

Navy Pier’s Wave Wall Platform, 600 E. Grand Ave. Wednesdays, June 4 - 25 6:30 - 8 p.m. FREE

Enjoy free dance lessons on Navy Pier’s Wave Wall Platform every Wednesday in June. These sessions are great for those who love socializing, learning new dances, and being outdoors. Make it a date night or social event by sticking around for Navy Pier’s iconic fireworks display every Wednesday night following these exciting dance classes.

Companies and individuals participating in Pier Dance are Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m.: Bollywood Culture and Groove** Wednesday, June 11 at 6:30 p.m.: Traffic Jam Swing**

Wednesday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m.: Christopher “Mad Dog” Thomas** Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 p.m.: Movement Revolution Dance Crew

Wave Wall Moves

Navy Pier’s Wave Wall Platform, 600 E. Grand Ave. Saturdays, June 7 - 28 4 - 5 p.m. FREE

In partnership with Navy Pier, dance comes to the Wave Wall stage, located across from the iconic Ferris Wheel grand staircase, with pop-up performances from a rotating roster of dance companies every Saturday in June.

Companies and individuals participating in Wave Wall Moves are

Saturday, June 7 at 4 p.m.: Dilshad Khan Kathak** and Phillip "Phree" Wood** Saturday, June 14 at 4 p.m.: Clinard Dance's Flamenco Project and Niko8** Saturday, June 21 at 4 p.m.: Chicago Tap Theatre and Yielded Vessels**

Saturday, June 28 at 4 p.m. - part of Navy Pier Pride: Fever Dream Dance Collective** and Queer Dance Freakout**

On the Move

Palmisano Park, 2700 S. Halsted St. Tuesdays, June 17 and 24 5:30 - 7 p.m. FREE

A series of short, site-specific performances that winds its way through public parks, inviting audience members to discover hidden pockets of movement.

•     Tuesday, June 17 at 5:30 p.m. with Silambam Houston**, Aerial Dance Chicago, Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council Ballet Folklórico, Chibuck Movement**,Raks Inferno and Shubukai.
•     Tuesday, June 24 at 5:30 p.m. with Bodies of Water**, Chicago Flying Fairies Culture and Arts Center, Anniela Huidoboro Castro**, Michelle Haskell**, Sildance/Acrodanza, Symbiosis Arts** and Winifred Haun & Dancers.

*Performers, companies and programs are subject to change.

**First-time Chicago Dance Month performer.

ABOUT JULIA MAYER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SEE CHICAGO DANCE

Julia Mayer, who was named Executive Director of See Chicago Dance in 2020, has been involved in and influencing Chicago’s cultural scene in a variety of capacities for more than 25 years, having worked at 3Arts Inc., The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Chicago Humanities Festival, Morrison-Shearer Foundation, and Museums In the Park. In addition, she has chaired and served on numerous committees from Links Hall to Chicago Dancemakers Forum to the Chicago Park District. Mayer has been a choreographer, teacher or consultant at Columbia College, University of Chicago and in Indiana at Valparaiso University and Saint Mary’s College. She has a master of fine arts degree in dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Chicago.

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY CURATORIAL COMMITTEE

Chicago Dance Month programming is intentionally curated to ensure a diverse range of dance forms and performances, offering a large platform for a variety of companies and performers while reflecting the cultural richness of Chicago. In early 2025, See Chicago Dance convened a group of seven community leaders to serve as a new Community Curatorial Committee to assist in the curation of Chicago Dance Month, a task previously handled internally by staff. This group focused on developing performance rosters for Chicago Dance Month’s Kick Off performance on Saturday, May 31, 2025 and “On the Move” with Night Out in the Parks, and included representatives from Asian Improv Arts Midwest, Ishti Collective, the Peruvian Arts Center and ReinventAbility.

ABOUT SEE CHICAGO DANCE

See Chicago Dance is a nonprofit service organization with the mission to advocate for the dance field and strengthen a diverse range of dance organizations and artists through services and programs that build and engage audiences. Its vision is to fearlessly inspire an ever-growing inclusive community to share in and spread the power of dance in Chicago.

See Chicago Dance is the source for all things dance with the city’s most comprehensive resource for dance information and one of the largest–and newly designed–websites in the United States dedicated to the art form. Its two-pronged approach focuses on building audiences while developing a more cohesive dance community.

For audience members, See Chicago Dance offers a dynamic calendar of dance performances and experiences, Hot Deal ticket discounts, professionally written reviews and previews, and listings for more than 200 dance organizations.

For dance artists and organizations, See Chicago Dance provides a full range of Programs and Industry Resources to help build audiences, improve skills, and foster appreciation of dance in all its forms.

The critically acclaimed Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC), a Chicago-based company whose internationally-celebrated versatility and percussive power have been hailed as “impossibly complex” (The New York Times) and “sophisticated and commanding” (Los Angeles Times), will launch its 35th Anniversary season at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in May. Led by the consistent pioneering vision of Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard, the 35- year evolution of this company is leading to a flurry of major milestone moments - including the world premiere of groundbreaking work at the MCA, the company’s Jacob’s Pillow debut, and administrative and artistic expansion.

MCA 35th Anniversary Kick-Off: May 16-18

The highly anticipated main event will be the world premiere of The Sash, and its companion dance, Taking the Mick, which celebrated its premiere last spring at TIDC’s annual Auditorium Theatre performance.

Two years in the making, these companion works are inspired by the Irish on both sides of the pond: Taking the Mick, “whimsy meets percussive ferocity” (Chicago Reader) choreographed by Howard and Associate Artistic Director and dancer Chelsea Hoy, is set against a vaudevillian era narrative that dances amongst the madness between Irish immigrant insecurities, social mobility, one-upmanship and assimilation into America.

The Sash, choreographed by Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard, Associate Artistic Director and dancer Chelsea Hoy and guest contemporary choreographer Stephanie Martinez, founder and Artistic Director of Chicago’s PARA.MAR Dance Theatre, presents an unprecedented movement vocabulary that brings the virtuosity and versatility of TIDC’s artists to a new level. Fusing Irish precision, traditions, and history with contemporary flair, The Sash brings to life Northern Irish composer Kevin Sharkey’s dream inspired by his childhood during the “Northern Ireland Troubles,” and reminding audiences that unity is stronger than conflict.

Set to a rousing score by Sharkey, the world premiere also features dialogue from the hit television series Derry Girls as well as spoken text provided by acclaimed Irish actress Eva Birthistle of the famed television series Bad Sisters.

“These companion works and their range represent a sort of ‘Sergeant Pepper’ moment for us,” says Howard. “Ours is a company that continuously and seamlessly re-grows to meet its expanding potential. Our artists’ movement vocabulary and prowess are developing at breakneck speed, and as choreographers, we love nothing more than to create new landscapes and open up new portals for our company members to soar through.”

The program will be rounded out with audience favorites that showcase the range of TIDC’s genre-defying repertoire, including Howard’s Push, an explosion of hard-driving percussive power demonstrates the company’s consistent message of female empowerment; and Michelle Dorrance and Melinda Sullivan's American Traffic, a hybrid of Irish step and American tap that plays at the intersection of rhythmic sensibilities and rebellious histories, amongst others. The program will feature original live music performed by TIDC’s band, fronted by Killarney-raised, New York City-based Brenoshea; company member Francisco Lemus who was named in Dance Magazine’s 2025 “Top 25 to Watch,” and a prelude that will introduce audiences to ten international dancers that make up TIDC’s brand-new Training Company, showcasing the high- powered athleticism of these new artists hailing from the US, Mexico, and Canada.

The four-performance series at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., May 16-18 will include:

• Friday, May 16: 7 m. - 11 p.m. - Opening night performance and 35th Anniversary gala celebration
• Saturday, May 17: 2 m. matinee and 7:30 p.m. performance
• Sunday, May 18: 1 m. matinee

The opening night performance and gala celebration will honor Trinity Warrior Award recipient Mark Kelly, former commissioner of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and Agnes Howard Award recipient Rie McGarry, who served as TIDC’s devoted costume manager and traveled with the company for more than a decade. The post- performance celebration will also feature drinks, light fare and celebrating with the artists.

Tickets for TIDC’s MCA engagement are on sale now and range from $40 to $80. Tickets for the opening night gala performance are priced at $275.

MAKING HISTORY - JACOB’S PILLOW

Following their MCA engagement, TIDC will celebrate their debut at Jacob’s Pillow, America’s longest running international dance festival, which celebrates its 93rd season in Summer 2025. Their engagement will feature six performances from July 10-13.

"Trinity Irish Dance Company embodies the spirit of tradition and innovation that we look for," said Jacob’s Pillow’s Executive and Artistic Director Pamela Tatge. “The company's commitment to blending the bold energy of Irish dance with contemporary sensibilities is unmatched. Their performances will mark the first time Jacob’s Pillow has presented a full program of Irish dance on the Ted Shawn Theatre stage. We can’t wait to celebrate their 35th Anniversary with their Jacob’s Pillow debut.”

For tickets and more information about their 35th Anniversary Season, please visit trinityirishdancecompany.com/performances.

EXPANSION

Leading into its 35^th Anniversary Season, TIDC is celebrating artistic and administrative expansion. The company recently welcomed a longtime leader in the Chicago dance community, former executive director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and River North Dance Chicago, Gail Kalver, to their team as Development Manager and Board Liaison. In response to growing interest from elite dancers around the globe to join TIDC’s mission and study Howard’s unique movement genre, known as progressive Irish dance, TIDC launched a new Training Company this fall.