REVIEW: World Premiere of Dory Fantasmagory Via The Young People’s Theatre of Chicago Now Playing Through May 28, 2023

 ChiIL Mama’s ChiIL Picks List

THE YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATRE OF CHICAGO 

PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

DORY FANTASMAGORY! 

We love this hilarious and heartfelt celebration of imagination via childhood fantasy, fears, fun, and sibling dynamics.

★★★★ Four out of four stars. 

Bonnie Kenaz-Mara, ChiILMama.com

Dory is best enjoyed by kindergarteners to 4th graders

REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

I've got to be one of the luckiest moms in Chi, IL. My son and daughter were raised on world class children's theatre. Now that they're 20 & 22, my son is graduating from Northwestern in June with a degree in theatre arts and a love for children's theatre, so he'll STILL join me for shows! In fact, my son, Dugan and I caught Dory Fantasmagory last Sunday and had a blast. 

We enjoyed the joyful audience participation as kids interacted with the characters and excitedly laughed and played along. Young People’s Theatre of Chicago does an excellent job of breaking down the 4th wall, with actions and words. Kids of all ages were captivated by the quirky antics on stage and the actors nailed it. Sometimes adults have a tough time playing convincing children, but Maya Lou Hlava is a joy to see, embodying the spunk and spirit of mischievous six year old, Dory. Her brother and sister are pretty fantastic at being annoyed older sibs as well. We caught understudy, Jackie Smook as Violet/Mother/Mrs. Gobble Gracker and she was fabulous too, as was the entire ensemble as siblings, adults, and imaginary friends and foes. 

ChiIL Tips: Arrive early. Seating is GA and if your littles are height challenged, closer is better for sight lines. Street parking can also be tough in the area, so leave extra time or book a lot spot in the neighborhood in advance.

We're suckers for show souvenirs, especially for children, so we're jazzed the program is a poster. Another of our favorite elements of children's theatre is that kids often go home and reenact the show and/or create their own productions. I see a lot more blanket forts and adventure play from pint sized patrons of Dory Fantasmagory. Apologies in advance for the hilarious ear worm "decka decka poop" song. Dory Fantasmagory has a finger on the pulse of what littles find funny, including potty humor. But even adults dig a good Poop Deck joke, right...?! 

We love this hilarious and heartfelt celebration of imagination via childhood fantasy, fears, fun, and sibling dynamics. Don't miss this! 

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

FLASH GIVEAWAY! WIN A FAMILY 4 PACK OF TICKETS TO DORY FANTASMAGORY 

($96 VALUE) 

ENTER THROUGH MIDNIGHT FRIDAY 5/12/23

Here at ChiIL Mama, we adore the World Premiere of Dory Fantasmagory Via The Young People’s Theatre of Chicago. So we're partnering up with the Young People’s Theatre of Chicago to spread the world about this fabulously fun, family friendly show. We're giving away a Family 4 Pack of Tickets ( 2 adult tickets/2 tickets for kids under 12). Winner's choice of show dates/times pending availability. As long as a show's not sold out, you're in. 

Enter at the bottom of this post through midnight Friday 5/12. Winner will be contacted by email and announced here and on our social media platforms. Don't miss this! Now Playing Through May 28 at the Greenhouse Theater Center.

based on the book by ABBY HANLON 

adapted for the stage by JOHN GLORE 

MAY 6 - MAY 28 

At The Greenhouse Theater Center 

directed by RANDY WHITE 

Following a sold-out run of Mo Willems’ Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, the Young People’s Theatre of Chicago’s inaugural 3-Play 2022-23 season concludes this May with the world premiere stage adaptation of Abby Hanlon’s popular early-reader book, Dory Fantasmagory. Adapted by John Glore, YPT’s world premiere production is directed by artistic director Randy White. 

Dory Fantasmagory runs May 6 - May 28 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. For tickets or info, visit yptchi.org or call the Greenhouse Theater Box Office at 773 404 7336. 

The Beloved Book Series – Now Onstage 

The first in a series of extraordinarily popular Dory chapter books by Abby Hanlon, Dory Fantasmagory details the adventures of 6-year-old “Rascal,” who has a big imagination and an abiding knack for getting herself in trouble! 

You see, it’s tough being the youngest. Dory’s older siblings won’t play with her and so she joins forces with best friend Mary (she’s a little monster!) and fairy godmother Mr. Nuggy to battle the oh-so-horrible Mrs. Gobble Gracker in a no-holds-barred attempt to win the thing she wants most: her family’s attention! 

● “Charming , Funny & True to Life” – Kirkus Review 

● “Beyond the silliness and the jokes–of which there are plenty–Abby Hanlon’s real talent here is how she can balance ridiculousness alongside honest-to-goodness heartwarming moments!” 

– School Library Journal
● ““Educational Value: A+ – Common Sense Media 

● Best book of the year by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, & Parent's Magazine. Golden Kite Honor for fiction and American Library Assocation Notable book. 

Young People’s Theatre of Chicago 

The Greenhouse Theater Center · 2257 N Lincoln Ave 60614 randy@yptchi.org · 773.404.7336 · 812.272.4511 (m) · www.yptchi.org 

● Best Book of the Year by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, & Parent's Magazine. It won a Golden Kite Honor for Fiction and is an American Library Association Notable Book. 

MAYA LOU JIN HLAVA PARK 

DORY FANTASMAGORY 

THE WORLD PREMIERE MAY 6 - MAY 28, 2023 

TEAGEN EARLEY 

ALEX BENITO RODRIGUEZ 

TASMAN GLASER 

Performance Schedule: Saturdays at 10am & 1pm; Sundays at 1pm 

(added performances Friday @ 7pm & Sunday @ 10am on final weekend) 

Script by John Glore
Adapted from the book by Abby Hanlon
“Dory’s Theme Song” composed by Deborah Wicks La Puma (composer of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!)
Directed by Randy White
Set Design by Shayna Patel
Lighting Design by Bridget Williams
Costume Design by Cindy Moon
Props Design by Saskia Bakker
Sound Design by Kurt Ottinger
Musical Director by Sam Shankman
Stage Managed by Jordan Large 

Tickets: $25 / $19 (under 12) Appropriate for all Ages 

@ The Greenhouse Theater Center 

Upstairs Mainstage
2257 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago 773 404 7336 

Young People’s Theatre of Chicago 

The Greenhouse Theater Center · 2257 N Lincoln Ave 60614 randy@yptchi.org · 773.404.7336 · 812.272.4511 (m) · yptchi.org 

  

CREATIVE TEAM 

JOHN GLORE (playwright) is an award-winning playwright whose work for young audiences includes Wind of a Thousand Tales, Folktales Too, Rhubarb Jam, The Day After Evermore and adaptations of A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, The Night Fairy, by Laura Amy Schlitz, Flora & Ulysses, by Kate DiCamillo and Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon. His plays for adults include The Rub, On the Jump, and The Company of Heaven, among others. With the performance trio Culture Clash he has co-authored adaptations of two plays by Aristophanes, The Birds and Peace. His work has been produced at South Coast Repertory, Arena Stage, Berkeley Rep, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Children’s Theatre Company, the Coterie, Oregon Children’s Theatre, Childsplay, and many other theatres nationwide and internationally. www.johnglorewrites.com. 

ABBY HANLON (composer and orchestrator) Abby Hanlon is the author and illustrator of Dory Fantasmagory, a series of chapter books for five to nine year olds, published by Dial/Penguin Random House. The first book in the series was named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Parent's Magazine. It won a Golden Kite Honor for Fiction and is an American Library Association Notable Book. The sequel, Dory and The Real True Friend won a 2015 Cybil award. The books have been translated in twenty-two languages and are Junior Library Guild selections. 

Abby has a bachelor's from Barnard College and a master's degree in childhood education from the City College of New York. Abby has taught creative writing and first grade in the New York City public school system. Her debut picture book, Ralph Tells a Story (2012), is widely used by elementary school teachers. Abby recently illustrated the picture book, Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme, written by Avery Monsen (2022). 

Abby lives in Brooklyn with her husband, her fifteen-year-old twins, and her scruffy dog Caroline. 

RANDY WHITE (director) was founding artistic director of Cardinal Stage Company in Bloomington, IN. where he inaugurated the extraordinarily successful “Cardinal for Kids” series. In NYC, Randy directed the off-Broadway/national tour of the TYA musical Max and Ruby, the 15-month run of Glen Berger’s Underneath the Lintel, assisted on Disney’s The Lion King, and was resident director at New Dramatists. Regionally, Randy has directed at Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Portland Center Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, etc. As an educator, Randy has directed and/or taught at Yale, Penn, IU, University of Minn/Guthrie, Fordham, and NYU Tisch. 

In Chicago, Randy directed The Wizard of Oz at the Children’s Theatre of Winnetka and Curious George and Knuffle Bunny at Northbrook Theatre. For the Greenhouse, Randy directed Truman and The Birth of Israel and was nominated for an Equity Jeff award for his critically acclaimed production of Midsummer (A Play with Songs). He also directed YPT’s inaugural production of Knuffle Bunny in the fall of 2021, the world premiere of Peabody, the Science Musical, in the fall of 2022, and the sold out run of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Randy holds an MFA in directing from the University of Alberta in his native Canada. 

Young People’s Theatre of Chicago 

The Greenhouse Theater Center · 2257 N Lincoln Ave 60614 randy@yptchi.org · 773.404.7336 · 812.272.4511 (m) · www.yptchi.org 

THE YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATER OF CHICAGO 

The Young People’s Theatre of Chicago is a professional children’s theatre company offering highest-quality Theater for Young Audience (TYA) productions and performance/education opportunities for children of all ages and backgrounds. 

Housed in the historic Greenhouse Theater Center in Lincoln Park, YPT launched in
the fall of 2021 with an extraordinarily successful production of Mo Willems’ Knuffle
Bunny. “Last year’s Knuffle Bunny was a hugely successful first outing for YPT,” says
YPT’s Managing Artistic Director Randy White. YPT followed up with an inaugural 3-play season, including Peabody, a world premiere S.T.E.M.-themed musical for gradeschoolers, a sold-out run of Mo Willems’ Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, and the upcoming world premiere adaptation of the wildly popular Dory Fantasmagory. 

White noted that “the company is excited to partner with community organizations, parents, impassioned educators, and local business leaders to make it possible for local children of all ages and backgrounds to experience and participate in a wide range of transformative theatrical experiences!” He added that these “include established children’s classics, commissioned new works by celebrated American playwrights, and extraordinary performance and educational opportunities.” 

ENTER HERE For your chance to win a Family 4 Pack of Tickets ( 2 adult tickets/2 tickets for kids under 12). Winner's choice of show dates/times pending availability. As long as a show's not sold out, you're in. 

Enter through midnight Friday 5/12. Winner will be contacted by email and announced here and on our social media platforms. Don't miss this! Now Playing Through May 28th, 2023 at the Greenhouse Theater Center.

ChiIL Mama is pleased to partner up with The Young People’s Theatre of Chicago on this giveaway. They have provided tickets for our winner. As always, all opinions are our own. 

Chicago Premiere of ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME Via Porchlight Music Theatre Now Playing Through June 1, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar: Adult Night Out

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE’S CHICAGO PREMIERE OF 

ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME 

STARRING ELISA CARLSON AND ANDREW MUELLER, IS NOW PLAYING THROUGH JUNE 1, 

AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Here at ChiIL Mama, we've adored Porchlight Music Theatre and their stellar musicals for years. We're so excited to catch their latest,  Ernest Shackleton Loves Me. In addition to featuring family friendly productions, we also cover adult shows that deal with family dynamics, in our Adult Night Out Series.   Ernest Shackleton Loves Me is a great fit with the theme of a sleep-deprived single mom (Elisa Carlson*) who makes her living as a video game music composer connecting across space and time, with the famous early 20th century polar explorer Ernest Shackleton (Andrew Mueller+) while he is stranded on an iceberg in the Antarctic in the early 1900s. It's so much fun to catch a new musical we've never seen before. 

Porchlight Music Theatre, in association with Skylight Music Theatre, presents the Chicago premiere of the critically acclaimed musical comedy Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, music by Brendan Milburn, lyrics by Val Vigoda, orchestrations and additional music by Ryan O’Connell and book by Joe DiPietro, at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., now playing through June 1. Porchlight’s production is directed by Michael Unger and music directed by Eric Svejcar. 

The performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3:30 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Post-Show Discussions are scheduled Friday, May 19 at 8 p.m. and Wednesday, May 31 at 7:30 p.m. and open caption performances Saturday, May 20 and Saturday, May 27 at 3:30 p.m. Tickets for Ernest Shackleton Loves Me are now on sale starting at $25 and may be purchased through the Box Office by calling 773.777.9884 or by visiting PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.

Ernest Shackleton Loves Me is the critically acclaimed new musical comedy with a tongue-in-cheek script by Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro+ (Diana, Memphis, All Shook Up) that received the Off-Broadway Alliance Award as BEST MUSICAL and was filmed and presented on Broadway HD. In this wildly inventive and romantic adventure, a sleep-deprived single mom (Elisa Carlson*) who makes her living as a video game music composer is contacted across space and time, via a crossed connection on her cell phone, by the famous early 20th century polar explorer Ernest Shackleton (Andrew Mueller+) while he is stranded on an iceberg in the Antarctic in the early 1900s. Inspired by her music, he shares his epic journey with her and, together, they overcome the odds in a timeless, and very funny, musical romance for the ages.

The company for Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, in alphabetical order, includes Elisa Carlson* (Kat); Andrew Mueller+ (Ernest Shackleton) with Rae Robeson* (Kat Standby) and Matt Miles+ (Ernest Shackleton Standby).

The Ernest Shackleton Loves Me creative team includes music by Brendan Milburn+ (music); Val Vigoda* (lyrics);  Ryan O’Connell+ (orchestrations and additional music);  Joe DiPietro+ (book), Michael Unger+ (director); Eric Svejcar+ (music director); Cameron Tragesser+ (conductor/keyboard); Scott Davis+ (scenic designer); Jonathan Berg-Einhorn+ (associates scenic designer); Gregory Graham+ (costume designer); G. Max Maxin IV+ (lighting designer); Matthew R. Chase+ (sound designer); Smooch Medina+ (projection designer); Rita Vreeland* (production stage manager); Andrea Enger= (assistant stage manager); John McTaggart+ (scenic supervisor); Wendy Ann* (scenic charge); Tina Stasny* (costume supervisor); Rachel West* (lighting supervisor); Samantha Anderson* (assistant lighting supervisor); Lynsy Folckomer* (audio engineer); Nick Dunk+ (audio supervisor); Matt Reich+ (audio supervisor); Jack Zanger+ (wardrobe supervisor);  Karlika Claybourne* (hair & make-up supervisor); Danny Carraher+ (master carpenter), Heather Gervasi* (assistant production manager/properties designer); 

Michael Weber+ (artistic director); Majel Cuza* (production manager); Heather Gervasi* (assistant production manager) and Frankie Leo Bennett+ (producing artistic associate).

ABOUT MICHAEL UNGER+, director

Michael Unger makes his Porchlight Music Theatre debut as director of Ernest Shackleton Loves Me. A Chicago native, Unger is a theatre and opera director who has directed on stages both nationally and internationally. He is the artistic director of Milwaukee’s Skylight Music Theatre and has been the associate artistic director and director of education at Off-Broadway’s The York Theatre Company in New York City. He is also the producing artistic director of NewArts which utilizes the performing arts as a vehicle to heal and promote creativity, collaboration, and confidence for the children in Newtown, Connecticut. Unger has taught acting classes in New York City and has guest directed at many colleges and universities, including Juilliard, AMDA, AADA, University of Utah, Ohio Northern University, The Asolo Conservatory and his alma mater, Ithaca College. He is married to actress Janet Metz and his favorite productions are their twins, Phoebe and Nathaniel.

ABOUT ERIC SVEJCAR+, music director

Eric Svejcar makes his Porchlight debut with Ernest Shackleton Loves Me. He is a composer and music director based in New York City. Works include Caligula, An Ancient Glam Epic (NYMF Audience Award winner), A Rockin' Midsummer Night's Dream (featured in the documentary “Midsummer In Newtown”), The Murder of Isaac, White Noise and the musical podcast “Loveville High” with David Zellnik. He adapted and arranged Disney's Peter Pan Jr. which has been performed by thousands of schools around the world. On Broadway, he conducted the Roundabout/Deaf West revival of Big River and played in the pits of The Little Mermaid and A Chorus Line (City Center). Off-Broadway he arranged and performed in the Zipper Theatre revival of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living In Paris, orchestrated Evil Dead, The Musical and music directed several productions at the York Theatre including Marry Harry and the Musicals In Mufti presentations of Big, Berlin To Broadway With Kurt Weill, and Jerry's Girls. He was a solo pianist with Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and played piano and sang backup for Debbie Gibson at Harrah's in Atlantic City. Originally from Chicago, he has done shows at Bailiwick, Northlight, The New Colony and many others and was the front room pianist/singer at Davenport’s Piano Bar and the late Gentry on Halsted. Svejcar is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Music. 

ABOUT ELISA CARLSON, “Kat”

Elisa Carlson is a 20-year veteran in the solo and dueling piano bar industry, singing and playing piano, violin, drums and bass all across the United States, internationally and on cruise ships. Carlson makes her Porchlight Mainstage debut with Ernest Shackleton Loves Me and previously appeared in Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway. A graduate of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, she enjoys bringing her skills to Chicago theater stages as well. Chicago credits include: Once (Writers Theatre and Paramount Theatre), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (American Blues Theater), Peter and the Starcatcher (Metropolis Performing Arts Center), One Man, Two Guvnors (Court Theatre), Pop Waits (Neo-Futurists) and American Idiot (The Hypocrites).  Carlson is also a choreographer for young performers and will be choreographing Matilda Jr. with GingerSnap Performing Arts this summer. 

ABOUT ANDREW MUELLER, “Ernest Shackleton”

Andrew Mueller is embarking upon his Porchlight Mainstage debut (after having done various concerts, benefits, readings, etc.) Notable Chicago productions include: “Peter” in Jesus Christ Superstar (Lyric Opera), “Mark” in RENT (Paramount), Man of La Mancha (Marriott Lincolnshire), Shakespeare In Love (Chicago Shakespeare), Almost Heaven: John Denver's America (Theatre At The Center), A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane Oakbrook), Wonderland: Alice's Rock & Roll Adventure (Chicago Children's Theater). Jeff Award for “Huck Finn” in Big River (BoHo Theatre Ensemble). Off-Broadway: “Prentiss” in Peter And The Starcatcher (New World Stages), Alice By Heart (MCC). Regional: My Paris (Long Wharf), Some Lovers (Old Globe & Adirondack Theatre Festival), Baskerville (Cardinal Stage). He also performs with his band, The Red Roses, in and around Chicago. 

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre 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 the last 27 years, includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Porchlight’s commitment to the past, present and future of music theatre led the company to develop the Porchlight Revisits and New Faces Sing Broadway program series, both quickly becoming audience favorites.

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations, most notably the ongoing collaboration with Chicago Youth Centers. 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 184 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 45 Jeff awards, as well as 44 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 12 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards, and was honored with eight nominations in both technical and artistic categories and won three awards in its inaugural year in this tier, most notably Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies.

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. Porchlight launched its annual summer series in 2021, Broadway in your Backyard, performing at parks and venues throughout the city.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AS RUTH PAGE IN-RESIDENCE ORGANIZATION

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be a member of the vibrant Ruth Page Center for the Arts community and an In-Residence Organization. Central to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ programming is this program, which is designed to serve organizations looking for a home base while they grow or expand their artistic and organizational capabilities. The Center is committed to nurturing and assisting dance and other performing artists, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artistic community. The Ruth Page Center for the Arts is a destination for quality performing arts, accessible to a wide community regardless of race, gender, age, education or disability. An incubator of artistic energy and excellence, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts carries forward the vision of its founder, legendary dance icon Ruth Page, to be a platform for developing great artists and connecting them with audiences and community.

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from: Allstate; Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Glimpse Vision; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; The League of Chicago Theatres PAV Grant Fund; The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity and the Arts at Prince; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints and The Dr. Scholl Foundation.

The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Porchlight Music Theatre wishes to thank members of the Matching Gift Corporate Program including: Allstate; Crowdstrike; Google; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Peoples Gas; Pepsico; Polk Bros Foundation; State Farm; The Saints and U.S. Cellular.

Ruth Page Center for the Arts

1016 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago

Performance Schedule:

Friday, May 12 at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 13 at 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 14 at 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 18, at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, May 19 at 8:00 p.m. (Post-Show Talk Back)

Saturday, May 20 at 3:30 p.m. (Open Caption Performance)

Saturday, May 20 at 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 21 at 2:00 p.m.

Friday, May 26 at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 27 at 3:30 p.m. (Open Caption Performance)

Sunday, May 27 at 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 28 at 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 28, at 6:00 p.m.

CLOSING WEEK:

Tuesday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 31 at 1:30 p.m. (Post-Show Talk Back)

Wednesday, May 31 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, June 1 at 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Website: PorchlightMusicTheatre.org

REVIEW: The 92nd Annual Waa-Mu Show “Romance en Route” Now Playing Through May 7, 2023

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List

The 92nd Annual Waa-Mu Show

“Romance en Route”

April 28 - May 7

REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Love is love is love, especially in the romantic city of Paris. We adore this playful, inclusive, romantic comedy musical. The matches, misses, breakups and hook ups are heartfelt and hopeful. The talent pool is deep, from the writing and score, to cast and crew. 

Don't miss this impressive student devised piece. Check out the full digital program HERE. 

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

“Romance en Route” follows six romantics on a journey through love, loss, heartbreak, and self-discovery in the City of Lights. By a chance of fate, Eve and Xander sit next to each other on their flight from Chicago to Paris. Meanwhile, their significant others, Lexi and Jenna, are in Paris competing for a high-stakes promotion. Alongside Tristan, a flight attendant with his head in the clouds, and Matthieu, a hotel concierge and part-time cynic, the two couples meet and are forced to confront fears, doubts, and unavoidable conversations. Will they find themselves—and the love they deserve—before they return home?

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

PERFORMANCES

Friday, April 28 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, April 30 at 2 pm

Friday, May 5 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, May 7 at 2 pm

at Cahn Auditorium!

600 Emerson St., Evanston

Tickets are $10-$30 available HERE. 

COVID GUIDELINES: All patrons are required to wear masks.

MAY 6 @ 2 p.m.

Recommended for ages 6-10

Waa-Mu Behind the Curtain is a playful and fun-filled hour that will feature lights, costumes, song and dance. It will be hosted by School of Communication faculty member Ryan T. Nelson, the award-winning music director of Northwestern’s 91st Annual Waa-Mu Show, “Peculiar Inheritance.” Nelson and cast members of this year’s Waa-Mu Show will lead audience members through the process of creating a new musical together. Attendees will experience a behind-the-scenes glimpse of “the greatest college show in America” with special interactive access with the cast, crew and creative team of this year’s Waa-Mu Show. The workshop will feature hands-on demonstrations related to musical instruments, choreography and singing. Waa-Mu Behind the Curtain is presented through a partnership between the 92nd Annual Waa Mu Show and Imagine U. All Waa-Mu Behind the Curtain tickets are just $5 and available HERE.