THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

The off-season specials will include: Emerald City Theatre's KEN LUDWIG'S 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, THE BOOK OF MORMON, STOMP, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL, KINKY BOOTS, FRIENDS! The Musical Parody, THE CHOIR OF MAN, SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN, CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE '90S MUSICAL, JERSEY BOYS, TAP DOGS,AMERICAN GIRL LIVE, CHICAGO and RENT 20th Anniversary Tour.

To renew or purchase a new subscription, please visit BroadwayInChicago.com or call 312-977-1717. Subscriber benefits include savings of up to 56% off ticket prices this season, discounts on both parking and suite service, invitations to Broadway In Chicago exclusive events, free exchange privileges based on availability and more. The Broadway In Chicago line-up, including performance dates and venues, is as follows:

A BRONX TALE

March 12 — 24, 2019

Oriental Theatre ( 24 W. Randolph )

Based on the one-man show that inspired the now classic film, this streetwise musical will take you to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s—where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he'd love to be. Featuring an original doo-wop score, this is a tale about respect, loyalty, love, and above all else: family. The new musical features a book by Academy Award® nominee Chazz Palminteri, music by Oscar®, GRAMMY®, and Tony Award® winner Alan Menken, and lyrics by GRAMMY Award® winner and Oscar® and Tony Award® nominee Glenn Slater, directed by two-time Oscar® winner Robert De Niro and four-time Tony Award winner

Jerry Zaks, with choreography by Tony® nominee Sergio Trujillo.

ANASTASIA

March 26 — April 7, 2019

Oriental Theatre ( 24 W. Randolph )

From the Tony Award®-winning creators of the Broadway classic Ragtime, ANASTASIA is a dazzling new show that transports us from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family. This 2017 Broadway hit features book by celebrated playwright Terrence McNally, a lush new score by Stephen Flaherty ( music ) and Lynn Ahrens ( lyrics ) that features favorites "Journey to the Past" and "Once Upon a December," and direction by Tony Award® winner Darko Tresnjak.

FALSETTOS

May 28 — June 9, 2019

Oriental Theatre ( 24 W. Randolph )

FALSETTOS revolves around the life of a charming, intelligent, neurotic gay man named Marvin, his wife, lover, about-to-be-Bar-Mitzvahed son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbians next door. It's a hilarious and achingly poignant look at the infinite possibilities that make up a modern family… and a beautiful reminder that love can tell a million stories. This production of FALSETTOS marks a happy reunion for composer/lyricist William Finn and playwright/director James Lapine. The show was a critical success, described by The New York Times as "an exceptional production of a perfect musical."

CATS

July 16 — Aug. 4, 2019

Oriental Theatre ( 24 W. Randolph )

Audiences and critics alike are rediscovering this beloved musical with breathtaking music, including one of the most treasured songs in musical theater—"Memory". Winner of seven Tony Awards® including BEST MUSICAL, CATS tells the story of one magical night when an extraordinary tribe of cats gathers for its annual ball to rejoice and decide which cat will be reborn. The original score by Andrew Lloyd Webber ( The Phantom of the Opera, School of Rock, Sunset Boulevard ), original scenic and costume design by John Napier ( Les Misérables ), all-new lighting design by Natasha Katz ( Aladdin ), all-new sound design by Mick Potter, new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler ( Hamilton ) based on the original choreography by Gillian Lynne ( The Phantom of the Opera ) and direction by Trevor Nunn ( Les Misérables ), make this production a new CATS for a new generation!

COME FROM AWAY

July 30 — Aug. 18, 2019

Cadillac Palace Theatre ( 151 W. Randolph )

The New York Times Critics' Pick takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. On 9/11, the world stopped. On 9/12, their stories moved us all. Don't miss this breathtaking new musical written by Tony® nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and helmed by this year's Tony®-winning Best Director, Christopher Ashley. Newsweek cheers, "It takes you to a place you never want to leave!"

THE BAND'S VISIT

Sept. 10 — 22, 2019

Cadillac Palace Theatre ( 151 W. Randolph )

ONE OF THE MOST TONY AWARD WINNING MUSICALS IN HISTORY!

After a mix-up at the border, an Egyptian Police Band is sent to a remote village in the middle of the Israeli desert. With no bus until morning and no hotel in sight, these unlikely travelers are taken in by the locals. Under the spell of the desert sky, their lives become intertwined in the most unexpected ways. THE BAND'S VISIT celebrates the deeply human ways music, longing and laughter can connect us all. Ten-time Tony Award®-winning production, THE BAND'S VISIT features music and lyrics by Tony® and Drama Desk Award winner David Yazbek, and a book by Tony Award, NY Drama Critics Circle, Lortel and Outer Critics Circle awards winner Itamar Moses. It is based on the screenplay by Eran Kolirin, and is directed by Tony®, Drama Desk, Lortel & Obie Award winner David Cromer.

OFF SEASON SPECIALS WILL INCLUDE:

KEN LUDWIG'S 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Nov. 3 — Dec. 30, 2018

Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place ( 175 E. Chestnut )

Directed by Emerald City Theatre Artistic Director Jacqueline Stone, KEN LUDWIG'S 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a merry, modern mystery! Go on a playful polar odyssey with Emily and her best friend Amos the mouse as they search for Santa's missing Naughty or Nice List. Teamwork, determination and heart save the day in this fantastic, slapstick holiday affair. A returning favorite filled with yuletide swashbuckling, this cheery production is a holiday hit for all ages!

THE BOOK OF MORMON

Nov. 20 — Dec. 2, 2018

Oriental Theatre ( 24 W. Randolph )

The New York Times calls it, "The best musical of the century." The Washington Postsays, "It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals." And Entertainment Weekly says, "Grade A: the funniest musical of all time." Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show calls it "Genius. Brilliant. Phenomenal." It's THE BOOK OF MORMON, the nine-time Tony Award®-winning BEST MUSICAL. This outrageous musical comedy follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. Now with standing room only productions in Australia, London, on Broadway, and across North America, THE BOOK OF MORMON has truly become an international sensation. Contains explicit language.

STOMP

Dec. 5 — 30, 2018

Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place ( 175 E. Chestnut )

STOMP, the international percussion sensation, returns to Chicago for the holidays by popular demand. From its beginnings as a street performance in the UK, STOMP has grown into an international sensation over the past 20 years, having performed in more than 50 countries and in front of more than 24 million people. Created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, STOMP continues its phenomenal run with four global productions: the ongoing sell-out production at New York's Orpheum Theatre, a permanent London company, and North American and European tours. Throughout its life, the show has continued to change by creating new material; this year, it will incorporate two new pieces. It is safe to say you will never again look at supermarket carts or plumbing fixtures the same way… or paint cans, or kitchen sinks or…

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

Dec. 18, 2018 — Jan. 6, 2019

Cadillac Palace Theatre ( 151 W. Randolph )

"An entirely fresh, funny, and gorgeous new production. A REASON FOR CELEBRATION!" — New York Magazine. Rich with musical hits you know and love, including "Tradition," "Sunrise, Sunset," "If I Were A Rich Man," "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" and "To Life ( L'Chaim! )," FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is the heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and life, love and laughter. Tony®-winning director Bartlett Sher and the team behind South Pacific, The King and I and 2017 Tony-winning Best Play Oslo, bring a fresh and authentic vision to this beloved theatrical masterpiece from Tony® winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. Featuring a talented cast, lavish orchestra and stunning movement and dance from Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins, FIDDLER ON THE ROOFwill introduce a new generation to the uplifting celebration that raises its cup to joy! To love! To life!

THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL

Jan. 8 — 13, 2019

Oriental Theatre ( 24 W. Randolph )

THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL, an "electrifying" ( Newsday ) musical adaption of The New York Times best-selling novel written by Rick Riordan, will launch its National Tour in Chicago. With more than 100 million copies of the book series sold worldwide, this global phenomenon has found a new home on the live stage in a "mesmerizing" theatrical event that proves "lightning can strike twice!" ( TheaterMania ). Following a sold-out run in New York City, where it garnered 3 Drama Desk Award nominations, including Best Musical, this "winning adaptation" ( The Hollywood Reporter ) is coming to rock Chicago.

KINKY BOOTS

Jan. 22 — 27, 2019

Cadillac Palace Theatre ( 151 W. Randolph )

KINKY BOOTS, the smash-hit musical that brings together four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein ( Book ) and GRAMMY® Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper ( Tony® Award-winner for Best Score for KINKY BOOTS ), will return to Chicago where it originated its Pre-Broadway World Premiere in Chicago in Oct. 2012. The winner of six 2013 Tony® Awards, including Best Musical, KINKY BOOTS features a Tony® Award-winning score by Cyndi Lauper, a book by Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein, and direction and choreography by Tony® Award-winner Jerry Mitchell. KINKY BOOTS tells the uplifting and heartwarming tale of Charlie Price, a young man reluctantly taking over his family's struggling shoe factory and looking for a fresh idea. Charlie meets and finds inspiration in Lola, and together they discover that it takes a good friend to make a great pair.

FRIENDS! The Musical Parody

Feb. 12 — March 3, 2019

Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place ( 175 E. Chestnut )

FRIENDS! The Musical Parody is the hilarious new musical that lovingly lampoons TV's Friends celebrating the wacky misadventures of your favorite group of 20-something pals as they navigate the pitfalls of work, life, and love in 1990s Manhattan. It's a seemingly typical day at New York's only coffee shop, Central Perk, until an unexpected runaway bride with beautiful hair enters the picture and kicks the whole gang out of second gear! This delightfully naughty confection plucks the best moments from the show's ten years and recreates the moments through an uncensored, fast-paced, music filled romp. You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll Unagi! Recommended for mature audiences.

THE CHOIR OF MAN

March 12 — 17, 2019

Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place ( 175 E. Chestnut )

The runaway hit of numerous international music festivals is hitting the road for its first U.S. tour! Known across the globe as "the ultimate feel-good show," THE CHOIR OF MANoffers up 90 minutes of indisputable joy! It's a party. It's a concert. It's a pint-filled good time set in a working pub that combines hair-raising harmonies, high-energy dance, and live percussion with foot-stomping choreography. The multi-talented cast of nine handsome blokes sings everything — pub tunes, folk, Broadway, classic rock — all to roof-raising heights. It's the best singing, dancing, stomping, pub crawl of a concert you'll ever see! CHEERS!

SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN

March 19 — 31, 2019

Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place ( 175 E. Chestnut )

Voted Best Comedy for Couples, SEX TIPS FOR STRAIGHT WOMEN FROM A GAY MAN has been sharing its upbeat brand of humor with theater audiences all across America for over five years! Hailed by critics as an evening of "big laughs and naughty fun," this romantic comedy takes the audience on a hilarious and wild ride where no topic is taboo and the insider 'tips' come straight from the source: a gay man. Theatermania calls Sex Tips "one of the best date-night shows you'll see this year!" and The Des Moines Register raves, "it's a slick show that delivers exactly what it promises!"

CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE '90S MUSICAL

April 2 —14, 2019

Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place ( 175 E. Chestnut )

Based on the French novel, Les Liasions Dangereuses, and the classic cult film starring Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillipe and Sarah Michelle Geller, CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE '90S MUSICAL pulls you into the manipulative world of Manhattan's most dangerous liaisons: Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil. Seduced by revenge and fueled by passion, the two diabolically charming step-siblings place a bet on whether or not Sebastian can deflower their incoming headmaster's daughter, Annette Hargrove. As the two set out to destroy the innocent girl—and anyone who gets in their way—they find themselves entangled in a web of secrets, temptation, and the cruelest game of all: love. Featuring your favorite throwback hits by artists like Boyz II Men, Christina Aguilera, REM, *NSYNC, and, of course, Britney Spears, this intoxicating new musical is "the ultimate night out" ( Entertainment Weekly ).

JERSEY BOYS

April 2 — 7, 2019

Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University ( 50 E. Congress Pkwy. )

JERSEY BOYS is the behind-the-music story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard… and the radio just couldn't get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story — a story that has made them an international sensation all over again. The show features all their hits including "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Oh What A Night," "Walk Like A Man," "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and "Working My Way Back To You."

RAIN

Cadillac Palace Theatre ( 151 W. Randolph )

April 14

As "the next best thing to seeing The Beatles!" ( Associated Press ), RAIN performs the full range of The Beatles' discography live onstage, including the most complex and challenging songs that The Beatles themselves recorded in the studio but never performed for an audience. This tribute show will return to Chicago for two performances only on Sunday, April 14 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. In addition to modern sets that include LED, High-Definition screens and multimedia content, RAIN will bring the Abbey Road album to life in its entirety.

TAP DOGS

April 16 —21, 2019

Oriental Theatre ( 24 W. Randolph )

The global dance sensation TAP DOGS hits the road on an international tour of jaw dropping new surprises. Experience the thrill of a revitalized genre of dance. Seventy-five action packed minutes of part theatre, part dance, part rock concert and part construction site. An adrenaline pumped cast turns traditional tap dancing upside-down and into the ultimate night out. TAP DOGS premiered at the Sydney Theatre Festival and success quickly followed with seasons in London, New York, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, Shanghai and around the world. Created by Oliver Award-winning choreographer Dein Perry, and originally directed by Nigel Triffitt, with music by Andrew Wilkie and lighting by Gavin Norris.

AMERICAN GIRL LIVE

April 30 — May 12, 2019

Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place ( 175 E. Chestnut )

Experience American Girl® in an all-new musical! AMERICAN GIRL LIVE is a premiere stage production, featuring all-original songs and unforgettable experiences. Come along to sleepover camp with some new friends for an exciting summer away from home. As bold tales of bravery and friendship come to life, iconic American Girl characters lend a hand through story and song. Join your favorite American Girl characters and the campers as they follow their hearts, share their dreams, and learn the power of friendship.

CHICAGO

May 7 —12, 2019

Cadillac Palace Theatre ( 151 W. Randolph )

There's never been a better time to experience CHICAGO, Broadway's razzle-dazzle smash. This triumphant hit musical, which is the recipient of six Tony Awards®, two Olivier Awards, a GRAMMY®, thousands of standing ovations and now the #1 longest-running American Musical in Broadway history, welcomes NFL legend and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George to the role of "Billy Flynn." CHICAGO has everything that makes Broadway great: a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz; one show-stopping song after another; and the most astonishing dancing you've ever seen. Whether you're looking for your first Broadway musical, whether you've seen the Academy Award®-winning film and want to experience the show live on stage or whether you've seen it before and want to recapture the magic, CHICAGO always delivers!

RENT 20th Anniversary Tour

Oriental Theatre ( 24 W. Randolph )

May 10 — 19, 2019

In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway… and forever changed the landscape of American theatre. More than two decades later, Jonathan Larson's RENT 20th Anniversary Tour continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. And now, this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award®-winning masterpiece returns to the stage. A re-imagining of Puccini's La Bohème, RENT follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters—love.

—From a BROADWAY IN CHICAGO press release

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 18 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well up more than 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago's Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, Oriental Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com .