Casting News, New Seasons, And Chicago Recognition

Hi Everyone!

I haven’t been out and about much the last few weeks, so I don’t have anything substantial to write about here. But I’m about to venture to NYC for the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Conference this week to see my pals and a lot of theater. Stay tuned for at least five reviews and special edition NYC coverage coming your way over the next few weeks.

Amanda

Chicago A&E News

• American Blues Theater will present its 24th Annual Production of It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago!, running from November 21 to December 28, 2025. This production is a beloved retelling of the classic Frank Capra film, presented as a 1940s radio play and directed by Executive Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside. The ensemble cast includes Brandon Dahlquist as George Bailey and Audrey Billings as Mary Bailey, featuring original music, classic carols, and live Foley sound effects.

• Choose Chicago announced that the city has been named one of Frommer’s “Best Places to Go in 2026,” marking the first time Chicago has earned a spot on this prestigious global travel list. Chicago was highlighted as one of only 16 worldwide destinations, with Frommer's citing major attractions like the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, the new Hand & The Eye magic venue, and the Route 66 Centennial as key reasons to visit. Choose Chicago leadership expressed excitement, emphasizing that 2026 presents an especially thrilling time to experience the city's culture, history, and architectural appeal.

• The Goodman Theatre's world premiere of the punk/metal/hip-hop musical Revolution(s), co-created by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tom Morello and Chicago's Zayd Ayers Dohrn, has added a second extension and will now run through November 22. Directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, the musical follows soldier Hampton Falk-Weems (Aaron James McKenzie), who returns from Afghanistan only to accidentally join the resistance in occupied South Side Chicago. This radical new production, which pulses with punk, hip-hop, and metal energy, celebrates the intergenerational courage required to demand a better world.

• The League of Chicago Theatres, in partnership with the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks Program and Campfire Rep, is hosting its next Cultural Conversations event to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. This free event takes place on Thursday, November 6th, at 6pm at the Austin Town Hall Cultural Center. The evening will feature a staged reading of Dillon Chitto's play BINGO HALL, which explores a Pueblo teenager's identity crisis as he faces leaving home for college, followed by a discussion with the playwright and Director Elise Bear.

• The League of Chicago Theatres, in partnership with Choose Chicago, is hosting the annual Chicago Theatre Week (#CTW26), offering value-priced tickets from February 5–15, 2026. During this celebration, visitors and residents can purchase tickets for $30, $15, or less, with sales beginning at 10:00 am CST on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. To enhance accessibility and streamline the process, all CTW 2026 ticketing will be hosted exclusively on HotTix.org.

• Music Theater Works is closing its 2025 season with a production of the beloved musical Annie, running December 18, 2025 through January 4, 2026, at the George Van Dusen Theatre. This classic story of the optimistic orphan and the billionaire who takes her in features Elin Joy Seiler as Annie and Michael Metcalf as Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks. Directed by Kyle A. Dougan, the show promises a fresh reimagining of the Tony-winning musical with cherished songs like "Tomorrow."

• Northlight Theatre is presenting a new adaptation of the Victorian thriller Gaslight, based on the original play by Patrick Hamilton and adapted by Steven Dietz, running November 28, 2025, through January 4, 2026. Directed by Jessica Thebus, the play follows the seemingly perfect marriage of Jack and Bella as it descends into a sinister mystery. Featuring Cheyenne Casebier as Bella Manningham and Janyce Caraballo as Nancy, the production explores a woman's twisted reality as she struggles to distinguish between truth and her husband's manipulations.

• Oil Lamp Theater has finalized its 2026 season with the announcement of the classic thriller, Dial M for Murder, running October 2 through November 1, 2026. This final production joins the previously announced shows, which include the comedy The Outsider (January-February) and the unfiltered play Poor Behavior (April-May). The season also features two musicals, The Last Five Years (June-July) and I Love You Because (August-September), all performing at the intimate Glenview venue.

• Pegasus Theatre Chicago will present its 39th Annual Young Playwrights Festival from January 1–24, 2026 at Chicago Dramatists, showcasing four winning one-act plays written by Chicago high school students. The featured plays are: Blizzard Bound by Sophia Ponce, Offices Etc. by Clark Tavas, A Question by Lola Zimmerman, and Toil & Trouble by Ashley Snyder. This long-running festival is the oldest of its kind in the US, providing young writers the opportunity to have their work workshopped and professionally staged.

• Remy Bumppo Theatre Company continues its 30th anniversary season with a production of Hedda Gabler, running February 5 through March 8, 2026 at Theater Wit. This version is an adaptation by Christopher Shinn, based on Henrik Ibsen's timeless drama, and is directed by Artistic Director Marti Lyons. The play follows Hedda Gabler, newly returned from her honeymoon, as she attempts to escape her loveless, ordinary existence by engaging in a dangerous game of manipulating those around her.

• Windy City Smokeout, the two-time ACM "Festival of the Year" and BBQ event from Lettuce Entertain You, is returning for its 13th year at Chicago's United Center from July 8–12, 2026. The festival will feature a star-studded lineup including Lainey Wilson, Jordan Davis, and Hootie & the Blowfish, alongside over 20 of the country's best pitmaster teams. A new element for 2026 is the festival's first-ever Wednesday night concert, headlined by Treaty Oak Revival on July 8. Tickets for all five days are on sale now.

  Do you have Chicago-based A&E news to announce?

Email me at [email protected]!

My Other Recent Reviews

• “Hundreds and Hundreds of Stars” at Timeline Theatre

• “Revolution(s)” at the Goodman Theatre

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