The life cycle of the big musical is changing

First publishedAug 13, 10:30 UTC

Last updatedAug 13, 12:10 UTC · 2m ago

110:30–10:33 UTC1 outletChicago Sun-Times

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Chicago Sun-Times6The life cycle of the big musical is changingAug 13, 10:30 UTCOpen ↗

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<p>Like that kid at your high school who was somehow always a step ahead of everyone else in listening to the next cool band, Chicago theater audiences recently have been given plenty of opportunities to crow about seeing future hits before the rest of the country.</p><p>“The Notebook,” for example, is <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/theater/2026/08/07/review-touring-production-of-the-notebook-nederlander-theatre-chicago" target="_blank" ><u>playing now</u></a> at the Nederlander Theatre on tour after a Broadway run, but <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/10/7/23392910/the-notebook-review-chicago-shakespeare-theater-superb-romance" target="_blank" ><u>its world premiere</u></a> took place at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2022. <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/culture-the-arts/2024/01/30/sufjan-stevens-musical-illinoise-in-chicago-2024" target="_blank" ><u>“Illinoise”</u></a> had a major-theater debut also at Chicago Shakespeare, in 2024, from which it went off-Broadway, then to Broadway (where it won a Tony for Best Choreography), and is now <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2026/05/18/illinoise-sufjan-stevens-dance-musical-justin-peck-chicago-shakespeare-theater-broadway-tony" target="_blank" ><u>coming back</u></a> for another Chicago Shakes go-round in 2027.</p><div class="Enhancement FormEnhancement" data-align-center> <div id="Form-newsletter-wrapper" class="Form-newsletter-wrapper" data-module data-has-background ><a class="AnchorLink" id="custom-form-c10000" name="custom-form-c10000"></a><bsp-form class="Form-newsletter" data-form-container data-has-background style="--color-form-background: #e8dbed;; --color-form-link: var(--link-color); --color-form-link-hover: var(--color-link-text-hover); " data-ajax-submit="true"> <div class="Form-newsletter-logo"> <picture data-crop=""> <source type="image/webp" width="840" height="555" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8d5b965/2147483647/strip/true/crop/985x651+33+0/resize/840x555!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2Ff5%2F2243263a48c7a1d6e81fedce4f15%2Fgr-wordmark-rgb-dkgreen-newsletter.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a4ff6fd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/985x651+33+0/resize/1680x1110!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2Ff5%2F2243263a48c7a1d6e81fedce4f15%2Fgr-wordmark-rgb-dkgreen-newsletter.png 2x" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI1NTVweCIgd2lkdGg9Ijg0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <source width="840" height="555" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d21ec76/2147483647/strip/true/crop/985x651+33+0/resize/840x555!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2Ff5%2F2243263a48c7a1d6e81fedce4f15%2Fgr-wordmark-rgb-dkgreen-newsletter.png" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI1NTVweCIgd2lkdGg9Ijg0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <img class="Image" alt="GR-wordmark-RGB-DKgreen-Newsletter.png" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d21ec76/2147483647/strip/true/crop/985x651+33+0/resize/840x555!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2Ff5%2F2243263a48c7a1d6e81fedce4f15%2Fgr-wordmark-rgb-dkgreen-newsletter.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/aaee62a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/985x651+33+0/resize/1680x1110!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2Ff5%2F2243263a48c7a1d6e81fedce4f15%2Fgr-wordmark-rgb-dkgreen-newsletter.png 2x" width="840" height="555" data-src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d21ec76/2147483647/strip/true/crop/985x651+33+0/resize/840x555!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F71%2Ff5%2F2243263a48c7a1d6e81fedce4f15%2Fgr-wordmark-rgb-dkgreen-newsletter.png" data-lazy-load="true" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI1NTVweCIgd2lkdGg9Ijg0MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" > </picture> </div> <div class="Form-newsletter-text-wrapper"> <div class="Form-newsletter-title"> Green Room Newsletter </div> <div class="Form-newsletter-submissionSuccess"> <p><b>You’re subscribed!</b></p><p></p><p>Please check your inbox for your confirmation.</p> </div> <div class="Form-newsletter-description">Stay ahead of what’s hitting Chicago stages, galleries, museums and more with Green Room, WBEZ’s weekly arts &amp; culture newsletter!</div> <div class="Form-newsletter-errorMessage"><p>Sorry, there was an error registering your email.</p></div> </div> <form data-ajax-endpoint="https://sfmc-subscribe.wbez.org/v1/subscription" class="Form-newsletter-form" method="POST" > <div class="Form-newsletter-item"> <div class="EmailInput"><label class="EmailInput-label"><span>Email</span> <input class="EmailInput-input" type="email" name="email" placeholder="name@email.com" required aria-required="true"> </label> </div> <button class="Button" type="submit">Sign Up </button> </div> <div class="Form-items-item"> <input type="hidden" name="acquisition_campaign" value="ARTS_Affordance"> </div> <div class="Form-newsletter-disclaimer"> <p>By subscribing, you agree with WBEZ’s <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/terms-of-use" target="_blank" >Terms of Use</a> and <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/privacy-policy" target="_blank" >Privacy Policy</a></p> </div> </form> </bsp-form> </div> </div><p>Other recent musical examples include <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/6/27/23775776/tommy-review-goodman-theatre-perfect-at-every-turn-in-breakneck-reboot-pete-townshend" target="_blank" ><u>“The Who’s Tommy,”</u></a> <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/theater/2026/05/26/review-spamalot-north-american-tour-production-cibc-theatre-chicago" target="_blank" ><u>“Spamalot”</u></a> and<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2016/8/31/18335833/timely-kinky-boots-ties-into-myriad-social-issues" target="_blank" ><u> “Kinky Boots.”</u></a> Over at Steppenwolf, <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/culture-the-arts/2024/03/14/steppenwolfs-purpose-directed-by-phylicia-rashad-reimagines-the-black-family-drama" target="_blank" ><u>“Purpose</u></a>” and <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2024/06/20/steppenwolf-theatre-little-bear-ridge-road-laurie-metcalf-joe-mantello-samuel-hunter-world-premiere" target="_blank" ><u>“Little Bear Ridge Road”</u></a> both scored recent “Best Play” nominations for Tony Awards after world premieres here (“Purpose” <a class="Link" href="https://www.wbez.org/theater-stages/2025/06/08/tony-awards-2025-broadway-purpose-steppenwolf-chicago-best-play" target="_blank" ><u>came out victorious</u></a>, while “Little Bear Ridge Road” did not).</p><p>What’s behind this run of Chicago-launched shows to bigger stages and accolades? What determines whether a show makes it out of Chicago at all?</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-460000" name="image-460000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15c0d7b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2500x1403+0+191/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F81%2Fd17593f640c08ba8f3b9a08efd4e%2F3-cst-40thanniversaryseason-illinoise-bylizlauren.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3ba955c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2500x1403+0+191/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F81%2Fd17593f640c08ba8f3b9a08efd4e%2F3-cst-40thanniversaryseason-illinoise-bylizlauren.png 2x" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <source width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/73cf121/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2500x1403+0+191/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F81%2Fd17593f640c08ba8f3b9a08efd4e%2F3-cst-40thanniversaryseason-illinoise-bylizlauren.png" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <img class="Image" alt="&quot;Illinoise&quot; at Chicago Shakespeare Theater." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/73cf121/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2500x1403+0+191/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F81%2Fd17593f640c08ba8f3b9a08efd4e%2F3-cst-40thanniversaryseason-illinoise-bylizlauren.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b47f9b4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2500x1403+0+191/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F81%2Fd17593f640c08ba8f3b9a08efd4e%2F3-cst-40thanniversaryseason-illinoise-bylizlauren.png 2x" width="490" height="275" data-src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/73cf121/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2500x1403+0+191/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fa0%2F81%2Fd17593f640c08ba8f3b9a08efd4e%2F3-cst-40thanniversaryseason-illinoise-bylizlauren.png" data-lazy-load="true" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>“Illinoise” had a major-theater debut also at Chicago Shakespeare, in 2024, from which it went off-Broadway, then to Broadway.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Courtesy of Liz Lauren</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>The first thing to recognize about the life cycle of a show is that the show is alive. That is to say, it’s always evolving, and not only in its so-called out-of-town tryout phase.

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  The life cycle of the big musical is changing

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  Chicago Sun-TimesAug 13, 10:30

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