Sunday, March 9, 2025

Review: Guys and Dolls at Music Theater Works Now Playing Through March 30 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Music Theater Works 

Guys and Dolls

MUSIC THEATER WORKS’ GUYS AND DOLLS,
NOW PLAYING THROUGH MARCH 30, AT THE NORTH SHORE
CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IN SKOKIE

Music Theater Works’ 45th Season Begins with the Frank Loesser Classic, directed
by Sasha Gerritson, choreographed by Clayton Cross and
music directed by Linda Madonia

at NorthShore Center for The Performing Arts in Skokie 

Run Time (currently): Two hours and 30 minutes including the intermission.


(L to R) Alex Villaseñor, Jenny Couch, Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor, Brandon Acosta and Emma Jean Eastland 

Guest Review

By Catherine Hellmann

A musical must be amusing if a two-and-a-half hour show retained our attention and kept us laughing throughout. What’s more fun to start things off than dancing gamblers in suits and slick fedoras during the overture? This energetic opening number made it obvious that we were in for a treat. 

(center) Cary Lovett and the cast of GUYS AND DOLLS, from Music Theater Works, now playing through March 30 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. 

All Photos by Brett Beiner

Premiering in 1950, Guys and Dolls boasts a familiar score including “A Bushel and a Peck,” “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sue Me,” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat. ” Director Sasha Gerriton writes in her notes that she “fell in love with the show’s rich, lush score and the vibrant dances” when she was 14 years old as a high school student and saw a production in downtown Chicago. In addition to the Tony-winning score by Frank Loesser, the show has a hilarious script with great characters penned by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. 

The entire cast does an admirable job with the singing, acting, and entertaining choreography. Standouts are Callan Roberts as a very funny Nathan Detroit, Kristin Brintnall is delightful as the patiently-forever-waiting-to marry-Nathan Miss Adelaide, and Jeffrey Charles is charming as reformed sinner Sky Masterson. 

 (L to R) Callan Roberts and Cecilia Iole

“Sue Me/I Could Die” duet between Brintnall and Roberts brought applause in the middle of the song for their wonderful repartee. Cecilia Iole as Sarah Brown, the determined missionary, and Brintnall had a fantastic duet as the frustrated but resolute girlfriends in “Marry the Man Today.” Also of note are Cary Lovett as Nicely-Nicely and David Geinosky as Benny Southstreet, Nathan’s goofy henchmen. I really enjoyed Ian Reed’s Irish-cop accent as Lt. Brannigan. Andrew Freeland adds a *huge* presence as Big Jule, the intimidating gangster from East Cicero outside of Chicago who carries his own questionable dice to New York for the game of “Crap.” We were thrilled to recognize Peter Ruger from one of our favorite theater companies, Hell in a Handbag, where he was Rudolph in their recent Christmas production.  

(L to R) Adam Raso, Callan Reed, Andrew Freeland, David Geinosky and Peter Ruger 


(L to R) Adam Raso, Andrew Freeland, Alex Villaseñor and Brandon Acosta 

Clayton Cross’ choreography is very inventive and creative and adds so much lightheartedness to the show. Our first impression of the set was seeing the orchestra above the stage in a big-band style. We complimented scenic designer Ben Lipinski at intermission, and he said placing the orchestra in full view was one of his first decisions. Kudos to Pianist and Conductor Kevin Disch for his musical direction. It’s cool to be able to watch the instrumentalists in action; so often they are relegated to being behind-the-scenes. Special shout-out to costume designer Bob Kuhn for his inspired ensembles. The dancers’ garden dresses and vegetable-themed hats at the Hot Box Club were amazing! “She has carrots on her head!” I whispered to my sister. :-)    

(L to R) Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor, Jenny Couch,  Emma Jean Eastland and Emily Holland 

So, head to the suburbs where there is FREE parking and a lovely evening of musical theater awaits. As Benny declares: “I’ve always been a bad guy, and a bad gambler. From now on, I would like to be a good guy, and a good gambler.” Take a gamble and head to Skokie for this enjoyable show. Odds are, you will love it. 

Catherine Hellmann is a teacher in Chicago and a theater lover everywhere. An upcoming trip to Hawaii for spring break means she has achieved a long-time goal of visiting all 50 states.



Members of the cast of GUYS AND DOLLS, from Music Theater Works, now playing through March 30 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. 
 
Music Theater Works is proud to kick off its 2025 season with Guys and Dolls, in the North Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, March 6 - 30, 2025. Guys and Dolls, music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, is directed by Sasha Gerritson, choreographed by Clayton Cross and music directed by Linda Madonia. 

 
(center) Alex Villaseñor and members of the cast of GUYS AND DOLLS, from Music Theater Works

The performance 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, March 15, March 22
and March 29 at 2 p.m. Tickets are now on sale from $19.50 to $89 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.
Music Theater Works’ season kicks off with what many believe is the “perfect musical” with
every song in its score a part of the American musical classic. Guys and Dolls whisks
audiences from Manhattan to Havana and back again with career gambler Sky Masterson,
“Save-A-Soul” missionary Sarah Brown, Miss Adelaide, Nathan Detroit and others in this
exuberant, big, brassy musical. Join Music Theater Works at the Hot Box Club onstage for
an unforgettable time.

The cast of Guys and Dolls includes, in alphabetical order: Brandon Acosta (he/him,
Liver Lips/Ensemble/US Nathan Detroit/fight and intimacy captain); Jordan Beyeler
(she/her, swing); Kristin Brintnall (she/her, Miss Adelaide); Caron Buinis (she/her,
General Cartwright); Jeffrey Charles (he/him, Sky Masterson); Jenny Couch (she/her,
ensemble); Emma Jean Eastlund (she/her, ensemble); Andrew Freeland (he/him, Big
Jule/ensemble); David Geinosky (he/him, Benny Southstreet/ensemble/US Nicely
Nicely); Joe Giovannetti (he/him, ensemble/US Sky Masterson); Isabella
Gomez-Barrientos (she/her, Agatha/ensemble/US Sarah Brown); Ben Harmon (he/they,
Angie The Ox/ensemble); Emily Holland (she/her, ensemble/US Miss Adelaide); Cecilia
Iole (she/her, Sarah Brown); Dee Kimpel (she/her, Martha/ensemble/US General
Cartwright); Kyle Kite (he/him, ensemble); Miguel Long (he/him, Rusty
Charlie/ensemble); Cary Lovett (he/him, Nicely Nicely Johnson/US Arvide Abernathy);
Matthew Millin (he/him, swing); Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor (she/her, ensemble);
Adam Raso (he/him, Harry the Horse/ensemble/US Lt. Brannigan); Ian Reed (he/him, Lt.
Brannigan); Callan Roberts (he/him, Nathan Detroit); Peter Ruger (he/him,
Calvin/ensemble/US Big Jule); Bob Sanders (he/him, Arvide Abernathy) and Alex
Villaseñor (he/him, ensemble/Non-Equity Deputy).


(L to R) Cecilia Iole and Jeffrey Charles

The Guys and Dolls orchestra includes Kevin Disch (piano/conductor); Alison Tatum
(she/her, violin); Cara Strauss (she/her, reed 1); Eva Lewis Butcher (she/her, reed 2);
Amy Nelson (she/her, trumpet); Stephanie Lebens (she/her, trombone); Eric Von Holst
(he/him, bass) and Lindsay Williams (she/her, drums).

Guys and Dolls’ creative team is Sasha Gerritson (she/her, director); Clayton Cross
(he/him, choreographer); Linda Madonia (she/her, music director); Amber Wutke
(she/her, intimacy and violence choreographer); Kathy Logelin (she/her, dialect coach);
Rachel Rock (she/her, stage manager); Ethan Colish (he/him, assistant stage manager);
Ben Lipinski (any with respect, scenic designer); Nga Sze Chan (she/her, properties
designer), Bob Kuhn (he/him, costume designer); Kristen Brinati (she/her, wardrobe
head); Alice Salazar (she/her, hair/wig/makeup co-designer); Melanie Saso (she/her,
hair/wig/makeup co-designer); Andrew Meyers (he/him, lighting designer); Forrest
Gregor (he/him, sound designer); Kimberly Carbone (she/her, production sound
engineer) and Andersonville Scenic Studios (scene shop).


(L to R) Bob Sanders and Cecilia Iole



(L to R) Bob Sanders, Isabella Gomez-Barrientos, Cecilia Iole, Dee Kimpel and Peter Ruger 


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 Guys and Dolls. 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 offering complimentary drinks
and snacks and does not require reservations. The Lounge is available during Guys and
Dolls, Saturday, March 8 (opens at 6:30 p.m.) and Saturday, March 15 (opens at 1 p.m.).

ASL Interpreted Performance
The Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m. performance will be ASL interpreted by Michael
Albert and Laurie Waldeck.








ABOUT SASHA GERRITSON, DIRECTOR
Sasha Gerritson is an opera and musical theater stage director who directs shows for many local and regional companies. Most recently having directed the critically acclaimed Music Theater Works’ production of Carousel, in addition to previous Music Theater Works’ shows Brigadoon and Irving Berlin's White Christmas, she is proud to return for Guys & Dolls. Known for her expertise in the standard repertoire, Gerritson is also a highly sought after opera director, having most recently directed Puccini's Manon Lescaut and Il Assassinio Nella Cattedrale for The Opera Festival of Chicago, where she serves as general director. In addition to her work as a stage director, Gerritson is a choral conductor and serves as the director of Music Ministries for the Park Ridge Community Church.

Previous work as a choral conductor included positions with the Chicago Children's Choir
and Merit School of Music. Gerritson is a proud board member of Music Theater Works, in
addition to The Goodman Theatre, the Brookfield Zoo and DePaul University, where she
serves as vice chair of the Board of Trustees. She served as the opera and music theatre
director of Northeastern Illinois University from 2010-2022, has directed for Musica Nelle
Marche (Urbino, Italy), Opera Piccola, DePaul University, the Cherub Music Theatre
program for Northwestern University, in addition to various other summer programs in the
area. She lives in Glenview with her husband Eugene Jarvis and their two sons, Nate and
Josh.


(L to R) Jenny Couch, Catherine Rodriguez O’Connor, Kristin Brintnall, Emily Holland and Emma Jean Eastland 

ABOUT CLAYTON CROSS, CHOREOGRAPHER
Clayton Cross works nationwide as a choreographer, performer and dance
instructor. Cross was most recently in the ensemble and dance captain of Rock Of Ages
with Mercury Theater Chicago, with Drury Lane in the ensemble and dance captain in
Grease as well as in the ensemble in Evita. He most recently choreographed Brigadoon
for Music Theatre Works. He was last seen on the Music Theater Works stage as “Scuttle”
in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, in the ensemble of Mamma Mia!, as choreographer for
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and Billy Elliot The Musical. He was choreographer in
residence with Music Theater Works under the direction of Rudy Hogenmiller for seven
seasons where he choreographed and/or performed in Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat as “Benjamin”, Hunchback of Notre Dame, How to Succeed in
Business Without Really Trying, Into The Woods, Anything Goes as “ensemble”, Pirates of
Penzance as “ensemble”, Peter Pan as “Nana/Croc”, Gypsy as “Tulsa”, Mame as “ensemble”, Candide, Guys and Dolls, My Fair Lady, Die Fladermanus, The Fantasticks as “Mute,” Damn Yankees as “Eddie” and in A Chorus Line as “Greg” with Porchlight MusicTheatre. Cross also performed at Marriott Theatre in La Cage Aux Follies as “Mercedes”.

He is an instructor and choreographer for M.A. Dance Nation, a Texas based traveling
convention circuit, where he has been choreographing, teaching and judging since
1999. Cross has five times been a consultant and contributed choreography for the Capital
One Bowl’s “All American Halftime Show.” Throughout his 25 year career as a dancer he
has worked with Robert Battle, Fernando Bujones, Sherry Zunker, Paul Taylor and Anne
Reinking. Cross’s television credits include “Every Dancer Has a Story,
” a PBS special on the River North Chicago Dance Company, where he was a company member for 10
seasons and toured nationally and internationally. He is originally from Midland, Texas
where he received his early training from La Petite Dance Co., Coleman Academy and the
Midland Community Theatre as a member of the Pickwick Players. He holds a double
B.F.A. in Ballet and Modern Dance from Texas Christian University.


(L to R) Kristin Brintnall and Cecilia Iole

ABOUT LINDA MADONIA, MUSIC DIRECTOR
Linda Madonia is thrilled to be back at Music Theater Works where she has previously
music directed Legally Blonde:The Musical, Shrek: The Musical, Mamma Mia! and
Camelot. Other recent projects include; Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages and Sister Act at
Mercury Theater Chicago. Anything Goes, Cabaret and A Chorus Line at Porchlight Music
Theatre. Madonia 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.


(L to R) David Geinosky, Cary Lovett and Miguel Long 
 in GUYS AND DOLLS, from Music Theater Works, now playing through March 30 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. 

Music Theater Works 2025 Season
The 45th season includes Guys and Dolls, March 6 - 30; Fiddler on the Roof, August 7 -
17; Godspell, October 23 - November 16 and Annie, December 18, 2025 - January 4,
2026. For more information on the 45th season go to MusicTheaterWorks.com.


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.




Show dates and times:
Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. – Binny’s Broadway Lounge (opens at 6:30 p.m. )
Sunday, March 9 at 2 p.m.

Wednesday, March 12 at 2 p.m.
Friday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 15 at 2 p.m. – Binny’s Broadway Lounge (opens at 1 p.m.)
Saturday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. 
Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m.

Wednesday, March 19 at 2 p.m.
Friday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 22 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m. – ASL Interpreted
Sunday, March 23 at 2 p.m.

Wednesday, March 26 at 2 p.m.
Friday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 29 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 30 at 2 p.m.

Tickets: $19.50 to $89, tickets for guests 25 years old and younger are available for half- price.

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





Saturday, March 8, 2025

REVIEW: Barefoot Brilliance of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Enchants at The Auditorium March 7-9, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 

returns to The Auditorium March 7-9

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ronald K. Brown’s Grace. Photo by Danica Paulos


REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Last night Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at Auditorium Theatre was as stunning as ever. This weekend marks the Company’s 56th visit to The Auditorium and we're here for it. I've seen Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater a number of times and their astonishing talent, superior production values,  kinetic costume design, and barefoot brilliance is sure to impress.

Ailey’s Solomon Dumas, Constance Stamatiou and Yazzmeen Laidler in Alvin Ailey's Revelations

All Photos by Paul Kolnik unless otherwise noted

This company exudes world class strength, style, and grace! The lighting is a character unto itself and the score is so good you’ll be humming it for days. It's inspiring to see such tight ensemble work and stellar solo artists. Their 2025 tour is a great mix of acclaimed Alvin Ailey classics dating back to the 60s, mixed with new works. 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Jamar Roberts Al-Andalus Blues. 

It was chilly and sleeting on this March Chicago night, but Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater brought the soul warming sun! 


Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Ailey's Revelations. Photo by Tony Powell


AAADT in Alvin Aileys Revelations with live music. Photo by Christopher Duggan


Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Ailey's Revelations. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

It gave me such joy to see a beautiful mix of races and ages in the audience, from silver haired elders, to enthusiastic teens, and wide eyed children. What a wonderful exposure to the arts and to dance in particular. According to The Auditorium CEO Rich Regan, “In addition to our public programming, we are proud to be offering two student performances by the Company this year, enabling The Auditorium to introduce thousands of students to this inspiring, dynamic company.”

Ailey’s Constance Stamatiou in Alvin Ailey’s Cry. 

I feel so fortunate to catch an excerpt of Cry in honor of Ms. Judith Jamison, the beloved Company dancer and Artistic Director Emerita who passed away in late 2024.

Alvin Ailey’s Cry pays tribute to the late Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison on opening night, while Ailey masterpiece Revelations concludes both programs.

Cry excerpt (1971) Alvin Ailey choreographed the solo ballet, Cry, as a birthday present for his mother; it went on to become an enduring work of American art. First danced by the legendary Judith Jamison, an excerpt of this powerful work dedicated to "all black women everywhere - especially our mothers" will be performed on the opening night program (Friday, March 7) as a tribute to Ms. Judith Jamison, the beloved Company dancer and Artistic Director Emerita who passed away in late 2024.


Vernard Gilmore in Alvin Ailey's Revelations. Photo by Andrew Eccles.



Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Vernard Gilmore in Alvin Ailey's Love Songs. 

This weekend is also special because Chicago’s own Vernard J. Gilmore is celebrating his farewell hometown engagement with Ailey, taking his final bow after 28 seasons with the Company. He was met with enthusiastic applause and well deserved ovations. The Auditorium Theatre was packed to the upper balconies with adoring fans of hometown favorite, Gilmore and his impressively long dance career. It was breathtaking to see him so joyfully embraced. 

Currently the longest tenured Company member, the Englewood native began his professional dance training at Curie Performing and Creative Arts High School before receiving a scholarship to The Ailey School, performing with Ailey II, and joining Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1997. 

The company is only in Chicago for 4 performances, so catch them live this weekend if you can! Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is truly a treat. Don't miss this! Highly recommended. ★★★★ Four out of four stars.

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).

The Auditorium proudly presents the 2025 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Chicago season featuring two programs packed with premieres March 7-9, 2025

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the world’s most popular dance companies, returns to The Auditorium, Chicago’s landmark stage at 50 E Ida B. Wells Drive, in four performances only, Friday-Sunday, March 7-9, 2025 as part of a coast-to-coast 2025 United States tour in a season celebrating the life and legacy of Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison (1943-2024). 

Led by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, the passionate spirit and extraordinary technique of Ailey’s dancers will be showcased in two exciting programs featuring a trio of Chicago premieres alongside compelling new productions and beloved Ailey Classics including Alvin Ailey’s must-see signature masterpiece Revelations. Tickets start at $39.00 and are now available at AuditoriumTheatre.org. or by calling The Auditorium’s Ticket Service Center at 312.341.2300.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Yannick Lebrun andJacquelin Harris in Elisa Monte's Treading

New works abound by Hope Boykin, Lar Lubovitch, and Matthew Rushing, plus 25th anniversary restaging of Ronald K. Brown’s rapturous Grace, and new production of Elisa Monte’s mesmerizing duet Treading.

“Auditorium audiences welcome Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with great enthusiasm each Spring, knowing a joyful experience awaits, and this year’s programming will be no exception. In this, the Company’s 56th visit to The Auditorium, we are saddened by the recent passing of the legendary Ailey dancer and Artistic Director, Judith Jamison, with whom we collaborated many times, but are pleased to pay tribute with a special opening night performance featuring an excerpt of Cry, the exuberant Ailey work that became her signature,” said The Auditorium CEO Rich Regan. 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Aileys Revelations. Photo by Danica Paulos


In addition to the inspiring finale of Revelations for all performances, the programs for the 2025 Chicago engagement of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater are as follows:  Friday, March 7 at 7:30pm & Sunday, March 9, at 3pm

Grace (1999, Chicago Premiere of 25th anniversary production) Set to Duke Ellington's classic "Come Sunday," Peven Everett’s hit "Gabriel," and the irresistible pulse of Fela Kuti's Afro-Pop, Ronald K. Brown’s spellbinding work depicts individuals on a journey to the promised land, expanding from a single angel-like figure in white to the fireball intensity of 12 powerful dancers. Here, the secular and sacred meet in a tour-de-force connecting African and American dance.

Finding Free (2024, Chicago Premiere) by former Company member Hope Boykin who returns to explore personal freedoms in this collaboration with pianist Matthew Whitaker who is composing an original score. This insightful work uses Boykin’s movement-language and Whitaker’s jazz- and gospel-influenced music to examine the challenges and restrictions throughout life’s peaks and valleys that propel the journey forward.

Ailey’s Caroline Dartey and James Gilmer in Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish's Me, Myself and You.


Saturday, March 8 at 1pm & 7:30pm

Sacred Songs (2024, Chicago Premiere) by Matthew Rushing features music used in the original 1960 premiere of Alvin Ailey’s seminal Revelations but later omitted when the piece was edited into the current version that has captivated audiences for decades. Drawing inspiration from the roots of Mr. Ailey’s most venerated and consummate creation, this stirring new work will resurrect and reimagine those spirituals—with the collaboration of musical director Du’Bois A’Keen—as an offering to our present need for lamentation, faith, and joy.

Treading (1979, Chicago Premiere of new production) by Elisa Monte is a sculptural, mesmerizing duet featuring fluid, intricate movements that combine with Steve Reich's evocative music to create an aura of mystery and sensuality.

Many Angels (2024, Chicago Premiere) by Lar Lubovitch in his first premiere for the Company, features the native Chicago choreographer’s renowned lush choreography and musicality set to Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5.  Many Angels is inspired by a question posed by 13th century theologian St. Thomas Aquinas, “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?,” illustrating that some questions have no logical response but are understood as a question of faith.

Culminating each program will be Alvin Ailey’s must-see American masterpiece Revelations, acclaimed around the world for sending hearts soaring and lifting audiences to their feet with its perfect blend of reverent grace and spiritual elation. Since its debut in 1960, Revelations has been moving audiences with its powerful storytelling and soul-stirring music, evoking timeless themes of determination, hope, and transcendence. An intimate reflection of Mr. Ailey’s childhood memories of growing up in the South and attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas, Revelations pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of the African American community and explores the emotional spectrum of the human condition. 

Ailey’s Chalvar Monteiro in Hans van Manen’s Solo. Photo by Daniel Azoulay

2025 Chicago program & performance schedule

Friday, March 7 at 7:30pm & Sunday, March 9, at 3pm

Grace, Finding Free, Cry* (excerpt), Revelations 

*Friday only: Special Opening Night excerpt of Cry as a tribute to Ms. Jamison.  

Saturday, March 8 at 1pm & 7:30pm

Sacred Songs, Treading, Many Angels, Revelations

In addition to these four public performances, the Company will present two student matinees at The Auditorium, reaching thousands of youths with an inspiring program of Ailey Classics on Thursday, March 6 and Friday, March 7 at 11am. 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Ailey's Revelations 


About Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by U.S. Congressional resolution as a vital American “Cultural Ambassador to the World,” grew from a now-fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American dance. Forged during a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, the Company was established to uplift the African American experience while transcending boundaries of race, faith, and nationality with its universal humanity. Founded by Alvin Ailey, the posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor. Before his untimely death in 1989, Mr. Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor, and for 21 years she led the Company to unprecedented success. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has performed for an estimated 25 million people in 71 countries on 6 continents—as well as millions more through television broadcasts, film screenings, and online platforms—promoting the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance tradition. In addition to being the Principal Dance Company of New York City Center, where its performances have become a year‐end tradition, the Ailey company performs annually at The Auditorium; Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC; The Fox Theatre in Atlanta; Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, CA, and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark where it is the Principal Resident Affiliate, and appears frequently in other major theaters throughout the United States and the world during extensive yearly tours. The Ailey organization also includes Ailey II (1974), a second performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School (1969), one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts in Education & Community Programs, which brings dance into the classrooms, communities, and lives of people of all ages; and Ailey Extension (2005), a program offering dance and fitness classes to the general public, which began with the opening of Ailey’s permanent home—the largest building dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world—named The Joan Weill Center for Dance, at 55th Street at 9th Avenue in New York City. For more information, visit ailey.org.

The compelling story of the life, work, and legacy of Alvin Ailey is the subject of Portrait of Ailey, a new eight-part documentary series available for free on PBS LearningMedia. Created by Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita Sylvia Waters, Portrait of Ailey uses rare historical film and still images as well as contemporary footage to create a sweeping narrative of Mr. Ailey as a performer, choreographer, celebrity, teacher, social activist, arts advocate, and the creator of an enduring institution. All eight chapters are currently available online.

About The Auditorium

The Auditorium, located at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, is an Illinois not-for-profit organization committed to presenting the finest in international, cultural, community, and educational programming to all of Chicago and beyond as The Theatre for the People. The organization also is committed to the continued restoration and preservation of this National Historic Landmark that originally opened in 1889. The Auditorium’s 2024-25 performance season features a dynamic mix of cultural events from ballet to rock and roll and everything in between. For more information on The Auditorium and a complete listing of events at The Auditorium, please visit AuditoriumTheatre.org.


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