Goodman Theatre’s 47th annual A Christmas Carol Opens November 24th, and Runs Through December 30, 2024

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GOODMAN’S 47TH ANNUAL 

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

STARRING CHRISTOPHER DONAHUE AS SCROOGE

NOW ON STAGE IN PREVIEW PERFORMANCES, OPENS NOVEMBER 24 

***OPENING NIGHT PRE-SHOW EVENTS INCLUDES A TREE LIGHTING WITH TINY TIM (AVA ROSE DOTY) AND DIRECTOR JESSICA THEBUS, PLUS LIVE MUSIC BY BENET ACADEMY MADRIGALS AND WILLIAM BUCHHOLTZ (ALGONQUIN/METIS)***

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Goodman Theatre’s incomparable production of A Christmas Carol has been a beloved family tradition of ours for decades. This year my son, Dugan, is working the production on deck crew, so I’m even more excited than usual! It truly takes a village, on stage, behind the scenes, and in development, to make magic of this magnitude happen. I’ll be checking out the show on opening night, November 24th, so check back shortly after for my full review. We're excited to see Christopher Donahue in his first year as Ebenezer Scrooge, and every year Goodman changes up the production in creative ways, while keeping the tradition of their stunning set design. Goodman Theatre’s 47th annual A Christmas Carol, directed by Jessica Thebus, is sure to delight audience members of all ages. It's long been one of our top picks for making multigenerational memories. Experiential gifts, like theatre tickets, are an appreciated clutter buster. 

Goodman Theatre’s 47th annual A Christmas Carol, directed by Jessica Thebus, starring Christopher Donahue in his first year as Ebenezer Scrooge, along with other local favorites new to the production—Kate Fry (Narrator), Anthony Irons (Bob Cratchit), Bri Sudia (Ghost of Christmas Present) and more, are now available now. As Alternate Scrooge, Austin Tichenor steps into the miserly businessman’s shoes for 10 performances. A new Tiny Tim this year—Ava Rose Doty (last seen as Young Tommy in The Who’s TOMMY) is joined by young performers Isabel Ackerman, Viva Boresi, Annabel Finch, Xavier Irons and Henry Lombardo. The production opens this Sunday, November 24, and runs through December 30. 

Tickets ($25 - $159; subject to change) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Carol or by phone at 312.443.3800. Visit the website for performance dates when Tichenor will appear as Scrooge. Goodman Theatre is grateful for the support of PNC (Major Corporate Sponsor) and Abbott Fund (Corporate Sponsor Partner).

Once again this year, Goodman Theatre welcomes special guests to enhance its opening night with pre-show festivities including madrigal singers from Benet Academy (Naperville) and artist William Buchholtz (Algonquin/Metis) on flute. Director Jessica Thebus and the young performers of the production will light the Goodman’s Christmas tree. Pre-show events begin at 6pm on Sunday, November 24th.

The "perfect Chicago holiday tradition” (Chicago Parent), Dickens’ classic is a “beautiful, timeless message of generosity’s triumph over greed” (Chicago Tribune). Businessman Ebenezer Scrooge’s sizable bank account is only matched by his disdain for the holidays. But one fateful Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by four ghosts who take him on a spectacular adventure through his past, present and future, helping him on his discovery of kindness, compassion and redemption in a tale with a “first-rate cast and marvelous staging (that) shines merry and bright" (Chicago Sun-Times). Now in its fifth decade, A Christmas Carol is “still the best Christmas story ever told” (Time Out Chicago) and a signature event of the Chicago holiday season with a star-studded history that includes stage and screen notables like Jessie Mueller, Joe Minoso, Del Close, Harry J. Lennix, Felicia P. Fields, Raul Esparza, Sally Murphy and Frank Galati.

Full Company of A Christmas Carol (in alphabetical order)

By Charles Dickens, Adapted by Tom Creamer, Directed by Jessica Thebus

Isabel Ackerman…Belinda Cratchit/School Child

Jazzlyn Luckett Aderele…Chestnut Seller/Philomena/Mrs. Dilber

Dee Dee Batteast…Frida

Hillary Bayley…Musician

Mark Bedard…Max Fezziwig/Abe

Viva Boresi…Child in Doorway/Pratt/Emily Cratchit/Ignorance

Amira Danan…Belle/Ghost of Christmas Future

William Dick…Marley/Topper/Old Joe

Tafadzwa Diener…Martha Cratchit/Fan/Catherine

Christopher Donahue…Ebenezer Scrooge

Ava Rose Doty…Tiny Tim/School Child

Arash Fakhrabadi…Poulterer/Stag Deer/Young Marley/Undertaker/Ensemble

Kate Fry…Narrator

Brian Goodwin…Musician

Jalbelly Guzmán…Dance Captain/Hat Seller/Doe Deer/Felicity/Young Woman/Ensemble

Gregory Hirte…Musician/Dick Wilkins/Young Man

Anthony Irons…Bob Cratchit/Wreath Seller

Xavier Irons…Johnston/Peter Cratchit/Turkey Child

Susaan Jamshidi…Mrs. Cratchit

Henry Lombardo…Newspaper Seller/Boy Scrooge/Gregory Cratchit

Daniel José Molina…Young Scrooge/Pie Seller

Malcolm Ruhl…Music Director/Musician

Robert Schleifer…Mr. Fezziwig

Lucky Stiff…Ghost of Christmas Past, Makeup Consultant for Ghost of Christmas Past

Bri Sudia…Charwoman/Ghost of Christmas Present

Austin Tichenor…Alternate Ebenezer Scrooge

Penelope Walker…Crumb/Mrs. Alice Fezziwig

Wai Yim…Ortle/Tree Seller/School Official

Creative Team

Associate Director….Tor Campbell

Set Designer…..Todd Rosenthal

Costume Designer ……Heidi Sue McMath

Puppet Designers & Creators….Jillian Gryzlak and Rachel Anne Healy

Lighting Designer…..Keith Parham

Associate Lighting Designer…Brian Elston

Sound Designer….. Pornchanok Kanchanabanca

Composer….Andrew Hansen

Music Director…..Malcolm Ruhl

Voice and Dialect Coach.....Sammi Grant

Choreographer….Tommy Rapley 

Fly Director….Andrea Gentry

Understudies for this production include Tatiana Bustamante, Annabel Finch, Jordan Golding, Sam Hyson, Loren Jones and Anne Sheridan Smith.

Casting is by Lauren Port, CSA. Neena Arndt is the Dramaturg. Jennifer Gregory is the Production Stage Manager and Beth Koehler and Duncan McMillan are the Stage Managers. Flying effects are provided by ZFX Inc.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES AT GOODMAN THEATRE

ASL-Interpreted Performance: Saturday, November 23 at 7:30 and Friday, December 13 at 7:30pm – Professional ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.

Touch Tour* and Audio-Described Performance: Saturday, December 7, 12:30pm Touch Tour; 2pm performance – The action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset.

Open-Captioned Performance: Sunday, December 15 at 2pm – An LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

Spanish-Subtitled Performance: Sunday, December 15 at 7pm – An LED sign presents Spanish-translated dialogue in sync with the performance.

Sensory-Friendly Performance: Saturday, December 29 at 2pm – Sensory-friendly/relaxed performances are designed to create a performing arts experience that is intended for patrons who have autism or other social, cognitive and physical challenges that create sensory sensitivities and their families.

Visit Goodman theatre.org/Access for more information about Goodman Theatre’s accessibility efforts.

ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE

Chicago’s theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit arts and community organization in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community engagement. Led by Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, the theater’s artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. Artists and productions have earned two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and more than 160 Jeff Awards, among other accolades.

The Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” Its longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fifth decade, has created a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production and program partner with national and international companies and Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters.

Using the tools of theatrical practice, the Goodman’s Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand and empathize with cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of these programs, which are offered for Chicago youth—85% of whom come from underserved communities—schools and life-long learners.

Goodman Theatre was built on the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi Nations. We recognize that many other Nations consider the area we now call Chicago as their traditional homeland—including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo and Mascouten—and remains home to many Native peoples today. While we believe that our city’s vast diversity should be reflected on the stages of its largest theater, we acknowledge that our efforts have largely overlooked the voices of our Native peoples. This omission has added to the isolation, erasure and harm that Indigenous communities have faced for hundreds of years. We have begun a more deliberate journey towards celebrating Native American stories and welcoming Indigenous communities.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation on the new Goodman center in 2000.

Julie Danis is Chair of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Lorrayne Weiss is Women’s Board President and Kelli Garcia is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

THE 38TH ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL VIA PEGASUS THEATRE CHICAGO RETURNS JANUARY 5 - 26, 2025 AT CHICAGO DRAMATISTS

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PEGASUS THEATRE CHICAGO SHARES CAST FOR 

THE 38TH ANNUAL YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

JANUARY 5 - 26, 2025 AT CHICAGO DRAMATISTS

Chicago High School Playwrights Pen Three World Premieres that Delve Into the World of Relationships and Connections from Family to Past Love to Superheroes

Tickets go on Sale Monday, Nov. 25

Pegasus Theatre Chicago is proud to announce the cast of the 38th Annual Young Playwrights Festival, January 5 - 26, 2025 at Chicago Dramatists, 798 N. Aberdeen. Previews are Thursday, Jan. 2 - Saturday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. with the Opening Ceremony, Sunday, Jan. 5 at 2:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 - $30 and go on sale Monday, Nov. 25 at PegasusTheatreChicago.org. Educators may schedule school group matinees via YPF@PegasusTheatreChicago.org.

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we've been familiar with The Young Playwrights Festival for decades. My son participated in this excellent program during his high school years at Lane Tech, and had his play workshopped in class in 2019. And a close friend of mine's daughter made it to the finals and had her play produced years ago. What an incredible opportunity for Chicago's high school writers and theatre lovers! This year I'm jazzed to see one of my son's closest friends (and fellow Northwestern Theatre grad) is cast as an understudy. The talent runs deep on and off stage for this unique fest.

The Young Playwrights Festival is the oldest such festival in the United States and this competition typically receives more than 300 submissions annually! Three new winning works by Chicago teens have been chosen to be work-shopped and staged by industry professionals and receive a premiere under the auspices of Pegasus Theatre Chicago’s Young Playwrights Festival.

These excellently written one acts all deal with the World of Relationships and Connections. Each piece is creative and unique, with well developed characters and plots, all interlocking to provide an insightful and entertaining production. These young authors are wise beyond their years and it's a treat to see their scripts spring to life on stage, in the hands of professional actors. 

The festival has gotten more competitive in the passing years, with a deep talent pool, and increasing numbers of submissions. Come support the future and check out some excellent new talent.

The 2025 Young Playwrights Festival Cast:

Top Row: (L to R) Lexi Alioto, Shenise Brown, Collin Callahan

Second Row: (L to R) Jacob Coggshall, Ben Izlar Jr, Noelle Oh

Third Row: (L to R) Diego Rivera-Rodriguez with understudies Emma Fulmer, Lawrence Green

Fourth Row: (L to R) Jake Jones and Benjamin Jouras

“The 2025 Young Playwrights Festival brings some exciting new works for the new year from new voices to Chicago,” said Executive and Producing Artistic Director Ilesa Duncan.”For 38 years, Pegasus has produced new plays as an outlet for the young writers’ creativity. We look forward to sharing these playwrights’ stories inspiring the next generation of writers and audiences.”

The 38th Young Playwrights Festival includes:

Family Fishing Trip by Lydia Vodopic

(Lane Tech College Prep High School, Teacher: Kirsten Hanson)

Directed by Ruben Carrazana

Sal takes his kids Jenny and Mike on a family fishing trip that takes a turn for the worse. When secret schemes are uncovered and possible criminal activity is involved, this family has to put their differences aside and work together to make it back home.

Love & Gyros by Lily Zhang

(Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Teacher: Elizabeth Danesh)

Directed by Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke

After decades apart, James and Cecelia, two former high school sweethearts, bump into each other at a restaurant on a faraway island in Greece. Throughout the evening, fragments of the past are revealed and revisited in this recollection of youth, time and memory.

Superheroes Anonymous by Carolina Boss

(Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, Teacher: Elizabeth Danesh)

Directed by Ilesa Duncan

Several undercover superheroes meet in the basement of a Pump It Up for a support group where they discuss their problems.

The cast of the 38th Annual Young Playwrights Festival includes Lexi Alioto, Shenise Brown, Collin Callahan, Jacob Coggshall, Ben Izlar Jr, Noelle Oh and

Diego Rivera-Rodriguez with understudies Emma Fulmer, Lawrence Green, Jake Jones and Benjamin Jouras.

The current production team for the 38th Annual Young Playwrights Festival includes: Ruben Carrazana (director, Family Fishing Trip); IIesa Duncan (director, Superheroes Anonymous); Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke (director, Love & Gyros); Harrison Ornelas (scenic designer); Josh Wroblewski (lighting designer); Cecelia Chan (props designer); Alex Albrecht (sound designer); Adi Davis (production manager) and Jessica Minogue (stage manager).

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS

ABOUT RUBEN CARRAZANA, DIRECTOR, Family Fishing Trip

Ruben Carrazana is an actor, director, writer, producer and teaching artist originally from Miami. After working professionally in the Dallas theater scene for several years, he moved to Chicago, and was formerly the community engagement manager at Northlight Theatre. Carranza is a recipient of the Eisemann Edge Initiative grant with OutLoud Dallas, the Edyth Renshaw Award, an Activating Vacancy grant from bcWORKSHOP and the National Endowment for the Arts, a TACA Resiliency Initiative Grant, an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago, a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and a three-time recipient of grants from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture. He also co-founded The Tribe, a theater collective dedicated to the development of original work in Dallas, and named a Dallas Mastermind by the Dallas Observer. He is currently a Steering Committee member of the Cultural Access Collaborative. He holds a BFA in Theatre from Southern Methodist University.

ABOUT ILESA DUNCAN, DIRECTOR, Superheroes Anonymous

Ilesa Duncan is the executive and producing artistic director at Pegasus Theatre Chicago and the former artistic director and an ensemble member at Lifeline Theatre. She has directed numerous plays for Pegasus’ Young Playwrights Festival as well as Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea, Eclipsed (Jeff Nominated), Shakin’ The Mess Outta Misery (Jeff Nominated), Rutherford’s Travels (Jeff Nominated, co-adapter), The Green Book, For Her as a Piano, and Blacula: Young, Black & Undead. At Lifeline, she recently directed the Jeff Nominated Native Son, From the Mississippi Delta, Neverwhere (Jeff Recommended 2018) and Blue Shadow (2010 KidSeries Premiere). A producer, director, writer, educator and theater-maker, Duncan is an avid collaborator on new work. Duncan has also worked with The Goodman, Writers Theatre, Congo Square, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Stage Left and Chicago Dramatists, as well as Contemporary American Theatre Company (Ohio), The Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Arena Stage (Washington D.C.) and Lincoln Center Theater (New York). As an educator, she has led youth development and arts education programs in Chicago for more than 13 years. She is a past awardee of an NEA/TCG Directing fellowship and a 3 Arts Ragdale’s Fellowship. She is a member of the Lincoln Center Theatre Director’s Lab and the Chicago Director’s Lab and is an associate artist with Chicago Dramatists (where she previously served as education and community engagement director).

ABOUT RESHMI HAZRA RUSTEBAKKE, DIRECTOR, Love & Gyros

Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke is a multi-faceted film and theater maker who develops work as a creator, director, producer, storyteller and curator. She works creatively developing new work and also directing, producing and production managing many varieties of shoots and plays. She has worked at The Vineyard, Playwrights Horizons Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, TimeLine Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Free Street and many more. She is the co-director of critically acclaimed BRUJOS and director for 8,000, FOBia,The Haven, Ethel and Agnes, Geeta’s Guide to Moving On and several more projects in development. She has her BFA from New York University, Playwrights Horizons Theatre School. During her time in New York, she received the Robert Moss Directing Fellow at Playwrights Horizons Theatre, as well as the Artist of Color Fellowship at New York Theatre Workshop.

ABOUT PEGASUS THEATRE CHICAGO

Pegasus Theatre Chicago has been a mainstay in the Chicago theater community for more than four decades. Its mission is to champion new, authentic voices and produce boldly imaginative theatre primarily by and about black or other people of color. Home of the Young Playwrights Festival, the company promotes cultural equity while celebrating intercultural communication. Pegasus is committed to initiating important conversations through the arts with strong community engagement and socially relevant programming. The Young Playwrights Festival for high school-age scribes celebrates its 38th year in 2025. Pegasus Theatre Chicago has received 77 Joseph Jefferson Awards since its inception.

Pegasus Theatre Chicago is proud to announce the authors and plays being presented at the 38th Annual Young Playwrights Festival, January 5 - 26, 2025 at Chicago Dramatists, 798 N. Aberdeen. Previews are Thursday, Jan. 2 - Saturday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. with the Opening Ceremony, Sunday, Jan. 5 at 2:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 - $30 and go on sale Monday, Nov. 25  at PegasusTheatreChicago.org. Educators may schedule school group matinees via YPF@PegasusTheatreChicago.org.

The 38th Young Playwrights Festival is made possible with the generous support of Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation at Field Foundation (ART), Polk Bros. Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Festival is also made possible in part by an Illinois Arts Council Agency grant.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE’S 2025 SPRING CLASSES, FEBRUARY 15 - MAY 17, AT DEPAUL UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List: Kids' Classes On Our Radar

Industry Professionals Teach Classes in Musical Theatre And Life Skills for Young Actors Aged 4 - 13 Years Old 

While Preparing Them to Create and Perform an Original Music Theatre Piece

All photos courtesy of Porchlight Music Theatre

Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre’s Education Department is proud to announce the return of its Spring Youth Classes, February 15 - May 17, with registration now available for all sessions. Also, Porchlight offers a sample option for the first day of class, Saturday, Feb. 15, for interested students and parents wanting to learn more about the 2025 Porchlight offerings. Families can sign up for a class sampler, Saturday, Feb. 15 for $25 and if they decide to register, the trial class will be credited towards the cost of registration.

Youth classes are designed to teach young actors musical theatre skills from basics to advanced while enabling students to also learn life skills such as effective communication and self-esteem. Classes are held at the Holtschneider Performance Center at the DePaul University School of Music, 2330 N. Halsted St. Tuition is $300 - $600 based on the class level with payment plans and scholarships available for all youth programming. For specific questions regarding camps and registration, please email Porchlight Education Director Rebeccah Singer at Rebeccah@PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. For general camp information and registration, visit PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/youth-classes/.

Chicago’s favorite music theatre classes return this spring with fun, jam-packed musical sessions for ages 4 - 13 years old. New and returning young actors will spend 13 weeks singing, dancing, meeting new friends and creating an original musical piece or revue to share with family and friends on the last day of class.

Porchlight classes and camps are process-over-product focused programs designed to boost confidence, empathy and a love of the arts. Young actors join session after session to build on previous skills – from music theatre basics up to college audition readiness in a nurturing and fun environment.

Sample Week One of Class

Saturday, Feb. 15

10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Porchlight invites new students to experience the first week of spring classes Saturday, Feb. 15 for just $25. If participants enjoy their first class and want to continue, the cost of the trial will be applied to the rest of the term fee.

The classes offered include:

Mini Musicals (ages 4-6) - 10 - 11 a.m.

Broadway Basics (ages 7-10) - 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Intermediate Ensemble (ages 11-13) - 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

All classes will meet at DePaul School of Music (2330 N. Halsted). For additional information or to register, please go to PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/youth-classes/.

The Porchlight Spring Youth Classes 2025 schedule includes:

Mini Musicals

Ages 4 – 6 years old

February 15 - May 17 (no class 4/19)

Saturdays, 10 - 11 a.m.

Holtschneider Performance Center, DePaul University School of Music, 2330 N. Halsted St.

Tuition: $300

Budding actors join us each week for songs, games, making new friends, and having a blast on stage! Our youngest students stretch their theatre muscles as they create an original musical story – with dance moves, props and songs to share with family and friends on the last day of class!

Broadway Basics

Ages 7 – 10 years old

February 15 - May 17 (no class 4/19)

Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Holtschneider Performance Center, DePaul University School of Music, 2330 N. Halsted St.

Tuition: $450

Enter the world of music, drama, dance, writing and more while practicing teamwork, communication and problem-solving. Students will be introduced to their actor tools — their bodies, voices and imaginations — while singing and dancing to classic and contemporary Broadway hits, writing their own story and with lots of time for playing games and making new friends. At the end of the session join us for a final performance to celebrate all your young actors’ work!

Intermediate Ensemble

Ages 11 – 13 years old

February 15 - May 17 (no class 4/19)

Saturdays, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Holtschneider Performance Center, DePaul University School of Music, 2330 N. Halsted St.

Tuition: $600

Returning and new middle school aged actors join us to grow as they focus on classic or contemporary musicals, learn musical theater songs, choreography and create a musical revue to share with family and friends.

NOTE: All class content, dates, times, etc. are subject to change. For the most up to date information, please visit PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/youth-classes/.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS

Porchlight Music Theatre’s Youth Programs serve those ages 4 – 17 years old and are grounded in the power of the American art form of music theatre to tell stories and inspire confidence and a love of the arts. The Engagement Programs deepen audience connection to the art, artists and the community.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 30th 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 the last 30 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 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.

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; A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation; 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 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 Abbvie; Allstate; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Peoples Gas; Pepsico; Polk Bros Foundation and The Saints. 

Studebaker Theater presents Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol, December 13-29, 2024

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Chicago’s historic Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater co-produce 

Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol 

this holiday season

December 13–29, 2024

Tickets now on sale for the beloved one-of-a-kind rendition of the Charles Dickens classic at the historic Studebaker Theater

Featuring hundreds of handmade puppets, immersive sound design and live music, Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol is a holiday show unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

*Rated PG due to themes of loss and death*

Chicago’s historic Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater are proud to continue their partnership with Manual Cinema this year with their co-production of Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol. The beloved, one-of-a-kind rendition of Charles Dickens’ classic story returns for the holiday season at the Studebaker Theater, December 13–29, 2024. I'll be out for the press opening December 17th, so check back shortly after for my full review. Tickets are now on sale for $45-$65. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit fineartsbuilding.com/christmascarol.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Manual Cinema this year as we co-produce Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol at the Studebaker Theater this holiday season,” says Jacob Harvey, Managing Artistic Director of the Fine Arts Building and Studebaker Theater. “The Fine Arts Building is Chicago’s home for art in all forms. Manual Cinema’s innovative work incorporating theater, film, puppetry and music is a perfect fit for the Studebaker, which has hosted multidisciplinary artists for more than 125 years. We’re excited to invite audiences to experience the wonder and heart of their one-of-a-kind rendition of A Christmas Carol.”

Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol runs December 13–29, 2024, at the Studebaker Theater (410 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago). Tickets are now on sale for $45-$65, with student tickets available for $20 with proof of ID. Performances are Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30 p.m., with matinees Saturdays at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. There are no performances on December 19 or 25. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit fineartsbuilding.com/christmascarol.

In Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol, avowed holiday skeptic Aunt Trudy has been recruited to channel her late husband Joe’s famous Christmas cheer. From the isolation of her Chicago home, she reconstructs his annual Christmas Carol puppet show—over a Zoom call while the family celebrates Christmas Eve under lockdown. But as Trudy becomes more absorbed in her own version of the story, the puppets take on a life of their own, and the family’s call transforms into a stunning cinematic adaptation of Dickens’s classic ghost story. Featuring hundreds of handmade puppets, immersive sound design and live music, Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol is a holiday show unlike anything you've ever seen.

“Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol is an unconventional take on the Charles Dickens classic inspired by—and created during—the pandemic. It's also a production full of emotion that is very near and dear to our hearts. After two successful years at Writers Theatre, we're so thrilled that it has found a new home this holiday season at the beautiful Studebaker Theater in downtown Chicago!” says Drew Dir, Manual Cinema Co-Artistic Director, Storyboards and Puppet Design.

Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol is adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens and devised by Manual Cinema, with additional writing by Nate Marshall. Storyboards and puppet design are by Drew Dir, with original score and sound design by Ben Kauffman and Kyle Vegter, and lighting design by Trey Brazeal.

The premiere of Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol took place virtually on December 3, 2020, and was streamed live from Manual Cinema’s Chicago studio to viewers across the globe.

Manual Cinema is an Emmy Award-winning performance collective, design studio, and film/video production company founded in 2010 by Drew Dir, Sarah Fornace, Ben Kauffman, Julia Miller and Kyle Vegter. Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music to create immersive stories for stage and screen. Using vintage overhead projectors, multiple screens, puppets, actors, live feed cameras, multi-channel sound design, and a live music ensemble, Manual Cinema transforms the experience of attending the cinema and imbues it with liveness, ingenuity, and theatricality. The company was awarded an Emmy in 2017 for “The Forger,” a video created for The New York Times, and named Chicago Artists of the Year in 2018 by the Chicago Tribune. In 2020 they were included in 50 of Chicago theater’s "Rising Stars and Storefront Stalwarts" (Newcity). Their shadow puppet animations were featured in the 2021 film remake of Candyman, directed by Nia DaCosta and produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions. In 2022 they premiered Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About A Terrible Monster, an adaptation of two books by celebrated children’s author Mo Willems, and a live adaptation of their 2020 streaming hit A Christmas Carol. In 2023 Manual Cinema completed production on their first self-produced short film, Future Feeling, and is currently touring with folk rock band Iron & Wine in 2024 creating live visuals on stage. For more information, visit manualcinema.com,

The Fine Arts Building is a home for art in all forms: from pioneers like Poetry magazine’s founding publisher Harriet Monroe, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz illustrator W. W. Denslow, sculptor Lorado Taft and the Chicago Little Theatre, to the ongoing legacies of painters, musicians, booksellers, puppeteers, dancers, photographers and craftspeople who inhabit the building today, the Fine Arts Building is buzzing with more than a century of Chicago creativity and innovation. A Chicago Landmark since 1978, the building features original manually-operated elevators, Art Nouveau murals from the late 19th century and the recently renovated Studebaker Theater, one of the city’s oldest and most significant live theatrical venues. For more information, visit fineartsbuilding.com.

The beloved, one-of-a-kind rendition of Charles Dickens’ classic story runs December 13–29, 2024 at the Studebaker Theater (410 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago). Tickets are now on sale for $45-$65, with student tickets available for $20 with proof of ID. Performances are Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30 p.m., with matinees Saturdays at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. There are no performances on December 19 or 25. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit fineartsbuilding.com/christmascarol.

WORLD PREMIERE OF CIRCUS QUIXOTE VIA LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY JANUARY 30 - MARCH 30, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

CIRCUS QUIXOTE

JANUARY 30 - MARCH 30, 2025

CELEBRATING THE REOPENING OF LOOKINGGLASS AND ITS RENOVATED LOBBY, BAR AND CAFÉ FOLLOWING A YEARLONG PAUSE IN OPERATIONS

Single Tickets are Now on Sale for the New Production Adapted and Directed by Kerry and David Catlin with Circus by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi and

Featuring an Ensemble led by Michel Rodríguez Cintra

Circus Quixote is recommended for audiences 5 years and older

The estimated running time is two hours and 15 minutes including one intermission.

Lookingglass Theatre Company and The Actors Gymnasium have been family favorites of ours for decades. We're beyond excited to welcome Lookingglass back after a hiatus. We've also long been fans of the creativity and vision of Kerry and David Catlin, the husband/wife team who adapted and directed this piece, and Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi who provided the circus elements. We can not wait to catch Circus Quixote! Save the dates and don't miss this.

After pausing its operations last year to reorganize and create a new business model, Chicago’s Tony-Award winning Lookingglass Theatre Company, in association with The Actors Gymnasium, is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the world premiere of Circus Quixote, January 30 - March 30, 2025, in the Lookingglass’ Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave. 

The renovated lobby, bar and café will reopen Thursday, Jan, 30, as well, with its menu and programming to be announced in the coming months. Based on Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quijote of La Mancha, adapted and directed by Kerry and David Catlin with circus by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi and featuring Michel Rodríguez Cintra, Micah Figueroa, Julian Hester, Laura Murillo Hart, Andrea San Miguel, Ayana Strutz and Eduardo Martinez.

Circus Quixote has previews Thursday, Jan. 30 - Saturday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 2 at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 5 - Friday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is Saturday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. The performance schedule for February 9 - March 30 is Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 and 7 p.m., Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 1:30 and 7 p.m. and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. The estimated running time is two hours and 15 minutes including one intermission. Circus Quixote single tickets are $30 - $80 and available now along with 2024 - 2025 Season Memberscriptions (Lookingglass Theatre’s new creation combining memberships and subscriptions) at LookingglassTheatre.org.

For more than 400 years, Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quijote of La Mancha has inspired readers and cultures across the globe. Lookingglass’ production, first incubated at The Actors Gymnasium, brings this literary classic to life anew in 2025. Somewhere in La Mancha there lived a man who read so many books about chivalry that his brains dried up. In this world premiere, Lookingglass transports audiences tiltingly and acrobatically into the dreamy madness of Don Quixote and his impossible folly-filled quest to bring good-deed doing back into the world … whether the world wants it or not.

“We are incredibly excited to reopen Lookingglass, in your favorite castle on Michigan Avenue, with this hilarious and inspiring story of a mad dreaming knight and his endlessly reliable squire,” said Ensemble Member David Catlin. “We are grateful to collaborate with the Lookingglass production team, our endlessly inventive designers and Actors Gymnasium, where our courageous and widely talented actors learn to fly.”

The cast of Circus Quixote includes, in alphabetical order: Michel Rodríguez Cintra (he/him, Don Quixote); Micah Figueroa (he/him, Sanson Carrasco), Laura Murillo Hart (she/her, Dulcinea); Julian Hester (he/him, Master Nicolas); Eduardo Martinez (he/him, Cervantes/Sancho); Andrea San Miguel (she/her/they/them, Antonia) and Ayana Strutz (she/her, Sister Sofia). More information on the cast and creative teams may be found here.

The creative team of Circus Quixote is David Catlin (he/him, co-writer and director); Kerry Catlin (she/her, co-writer and associate director); Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi (she/her, circus and movement choreographer); Courtney O’Neill (scenic designer); Daphne Agosin (lighting designer); Sully Ratke (costume designer); Grover Hollway (sound designer); Kevin O’Donnell (composer); Amanda Herrmann (props supervisor); Lee Brasuell (rigging designer; Grace Needlman (puppet designer); Helen Lattyak (stage manager) and Aaron McEachran (assistant stage manager).

ABOUT DAVID CATLIN, adaptor and director

David Catlin is a founding ensemble member, actor, writer, director, and former artistic director of Lookingglass. Caitlin adapted and directed Lookingglass Alice, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Moby Dick. Other Lookingglass writing credits include: Icarus, Her Name Was Danger and the idiot (Jeff Award for Adaptation). Additional Lookingglass directing credits include: The Little Prince, Black Diamond (co-director), Metamorphosis, The Master and Margarita (co-director) and West. He is an artistic associate with The Actors Gymnasium and serves as head of undergraduate acting at Northwestern University.

ABOUT KERRY CATLIN, adaptor and director

Kerry Catlin is thrilled to be working at Lookingglass again where she has served as master teacher, education co-director, director of Lookingglass Young Ensemble and assistant director of development. She has written, adapted and directed four circuses at The Actors Gymnasium including Circus Quixotic, All the Time in the World and a circus adaptation of Mary Zimmerman’s The Odyssey. Catlin serves on the board of directors for The Actors Gymnasium and teaches English and research at Walter Payton College Prep, a Chicago public school.

ABOUT SYLVIA HERNANDEZ-DISTASI, circus

Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi is artistic director and co-founder of The Actors Gymnasium. She also serves as master teacher and director of The Professional Circus Training Program and is a faculty member at Northwestern University’s Department of Theatre. Hernandez-DiStasi is a second generation circus performer who grew up touring with various circuses, including Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey. In 2019, she and her family, The Hernandez Troupe, were inducted into the Circus Ring of Fame for their monumental contributions to the world of circus. She is an ensemble member of the Tony Award-winning Lookingglass Theatre Company since 1999, where she has worked on over 20 productions. She has received four Joseph Jefferson Awards for her work with Lookingglass (Lookingglass Alice, Hard Times, Baron in the Trees) and Marriott Theatre (All Night Strut), and a total of five Joseph Jefferson nominations. In 2018, she won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and a Robby Award, both for designing the acrobatic/aerial choreography of the South Coast Repertory staging of Moby Dick. Other theater credits include The Lyric Opera, Writer’s Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago Children’s Theater and The Goodman. She is the recipient of The 3Arts Award for Design (2014) and also received an Award of Honor for Outstanding Contributions by The Illinois Theater Association.

ABOUT MICHEL RODRÍGUEZ CINTRA, “DON QUIXOTE”

Michel Rodríguez Cintra is an award-winning Cuban born dancer, actor, circus performer and educator. Rodríguez Cintra is currently a visiting assistant professor at NIU with the School of Theater and Dance and faculty at the Actors Gymnasium. He graduated from Escuela Nacional de Arte (National School of Arts) in Havana, Cuba with a degree in dance performance. In Cuba, he performed with Danza Contemporánea de Cuba where he became principal dancer and toured internationally. Since moving to Chicago, Rodríguez Cintra has danced with various companies including Hedwig Dances, Concert Dance Inc, Khecari, The Cambrians and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Later, he joined Lucky Plush Productions, a nationally recognized Chicago-based dance-theater company. His dance creations have been seen at Visceral Dance Chicago, Dancing in the Parks, Lit & Luz Live Festival , LatinX Chicago Arts Festival and The Harvest Chicago Contemporary Dance Festival. His work in theater includes the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival and Lookingglass Theatre Company’s Lookingglass Alice, which was recorded, and aired as a PBS special. Other accolades are his inclusion in “The Men of 2010 in Dance” by Time Out Chicago, 3Arts Award in Dance, Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch 2014” and a Jeff Award nomination.

ABOUT THE JOAN AND PAUL THEATRE

The main stage at the Water Tower Water Works has been named in honor of longtime Lookingglass supporters Joan and Paul Rubschlager and their transformational gift to ensure the future of Lookingglass. The couple have been instrumental in their partnership with Chicago organizations, such as Rush University and The Field Museum. Nationally, their support extends to the American Heart Association and Alzheimer's Association. The Joan and Paul Theatre reconfigures the stage and audience seating as dictated by the needs of each season, with a capacity of 200 persons including the balcony.

ABOUT THE ACTORS GYMNASIUM

Founded in 1995, The Actors Gymnasium has grown to become one of the nation’s premiere circus and performing arts training centers. Dedicated to bringing a new physicality to the American theatre, through developing physical performers and encouraging ground-breaking theatrical exploration, The Actors Gymnasium promotes its core values of creativity, community and courage across three program areas: classes, shows and event entertaining.

ABOUT LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE COMPANY

Founded in 1988 by graduates of Northwestern University, Lookingglass Theatre Company is a nationwide leader in the creation and presentation of new, cutting-edge theatrical works and in sharing its ensemble-based theatrical techniques with Chicago-area students and teachers through Education and Community Programs. Guided by an artistic vision centered on the core values of collaboration, transformation and invention, Lookingglass seeks to capture audiences’ imaginations leaving them changed, charged and empowered.

Recipient of the 2011 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Lookingglass has built a national reputation for artistic excellence and ensemble-based theatrical innovation. Notable world premieres include Mary Zimmerman’s Tony Award-winning Metamorphoses and The Odyssey, J. Nicole Brooks' Her Honor Jane Byrne, David Schwimmer’s adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and Studs Terkel’s Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel about the American Obsession, Matthew C. Yee's Lucy and Charlie's Honeymoon and David Catlin’s circus tribute to Lewis Carroll, Lookingglass Alice, which was captured by HMS Media and reached 1.6 million PBS viewers.Looking Alice is now available to more than four million students worldwide through Digital Theatre+. Work created by Lookingglass artists has been produced in Australia, Europe and dozens of cities throughout the Unite States.

MORE FROM LOOKINGGLASS

WORLD PREMIERE

Iraq, But Funny

May 29 – July 20, 2025

Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave. 

Written by Atra Asdou

Directed Dalia Ashurina

A raucous satire about five generations of Assyrian women reclaiming their stories, as narrated by a British guy. Making its world premiere at Lookingglass Theatre, Ensemble Member Atra Asdou’s original dark comedy jauntily marches through the Ottoman Empire to modern-day U.S.A. exploring history, family and dysfunction.

Lookingglass Young Ensemble

March 2025

The Lookingglass Young Ensemble (YE) is a group of Chicago-area young adults, ages 13-18 years old, committed to building their theater skills, lifting their voices and developing their creativity through collaborative creation. Three months of rehearsal and ensemble-building amongst this incredible group of artists will culminate in three public performances.

Lookingglass Outdoors

Summer 2025

Lookingglass takes their art outside the historic Water Tower Water Works and into the neighborhoods through special events like Sunset 1919, educational opportunities like summer camp and recurring programs that tour around town. This summer, Lookingglass continues its ambitious video project to bring Chicago together despite the lines that divide us, 50 Wards: A Civic Mosaic. The series currently has 10 wards available for viewing at LookingglassTheatre.org.

Circus Quixote production sponsors include Greg Thompson & Greg Cameron and Marla Mendelson, M.D. & Stephen Wolf.

The 2024 - 2025 season sponsors are Joan & Paul Rubschlager, Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, HMS Media, Waldorf Astoria, Chicago and the City of Chicago.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Lookingglass Theatre Company presents

Circus Quixote

Produced in association with The Actors Gymnasium

January 30 - March 30, 2025

Joan and Paul Theatre at Water Tower Water Works, 163 E. Pearson St. at Michigan Ave. Based on Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quijote of La Mancha

Adapted and directed by Kerry and David Catlin

Circus by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi

Featuring Michel Rodríguez Cintra, Micah Figueroa, Julian Hester, Laura Murillo Hart, Andrea San Miguel, Ayana Strutz and Eduardo Martinez

Previews: Thursday, Jan. 30 - Saturday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 2 at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 5 - Friday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Opening night is Saturday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m.

Performance schedule for February 9 - March 30 is

Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

Thursdays at 1:30 and 7 p.m.

Fridays at 7 p.m.

Saturdays at 1:30 and 7 p.m.

Sundays at 1:30 p.m.

Mask Required Performances: Friday, Feb. 21 and Wednesday, March 12 at 7 p.m. Open Caption Performance: Wednesday, March 5 at 7 p.m.

Audio Described and Touch Tour: Saturday, March 8 at 1:30 p.m.

Website: LookingglassTheatre.org

Single tickets are $30 - $80 and are available at

LookingglassTheatre.org/event/circus-quixote/.

Memberscriptions (Lookingglass Theatre’s new creation combining memberships and subscriptions) are available for the 2024 - 2025 Season a LookingglassTheatre.org/memberscriptions.