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Into the Chaos and a Tony Win!

Chicago shows up and shows out

Author

Amanda Finn
June 13, 2025

Happy Pre-Weekend!

I don’t know about you all, but this week felt like it took forever. Maybe it’s the incoherent weather patterns of a Midwestern early summer bopping from 90 back down to 60?

Who knows.

This was a lighter (and more light-hearted) week. So read on if you love irreverent comedy, Chicago Tony Award wins, and new play announcements!

Thank you, as always, for reading.

Happy Pride,

Amanda

Give Us Chaos

(L-R)Tim Metzler, Meghan Babbe, Jenelle Cheyne, Max Thomas, SpencerHodges, Javid Iqbal.
Photo by: Timothy M. Schmidt.

Look, comedy isn’t for everyone. Not everyone can appreciate a radical Lorax, an elderly couple people watching Lollapalooza, or a WWE-style wrestling match between school children and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. It was the last of these skits that was the final straw for one couple who stormed out of the venue in the middle of it on the opening night of The Second City’s 49th e.t.c. Revue The Chaos Theory of Everything.

And you know what? That’s their loss.

Because when everything in the real world is chaos, we need to be able to laugh at something. Anything. We need to feel something other than sheer terror all of the time. Though the very radical Lorax may invoke a little terror, after all, he speaks for the trees. And it’s not a good time to be a tree.

However, it's a great time to catch a show at The Second City. This talented ensemble might as well come with its own laugh track. While not every joke landed with the same aplomb, there were definitely more hits than misses in Chaos Theory. As you might expect from a show with that title, there isn’t much by way of theme. That said, the overarching idea is that we are seeing a collection of the ensemble’s big comedy hits after they are all tragically killed in a freak explosion.

Each ensemble member has their moment in the spotlight, giving us a glimpse into how each of their comedy styles fits into this work. From Jenelle’s unhinged love of surprise parties (or just the moment of surprise in them) to Max Thomas and Spencer Hodges as the aforementioned elderly people watchers, there’s a lot to love here.

As I mentioned earlier, comedy isn’t for everyone. This irreverent show might be too much for some people. But that doesn’t mean that what the cast is saying is any less accurate, less funny, or less necessary—especially right now.

The Chaos Theory of Everything, The Second City e.t.c., 230 W North Avenue - 2nd Floor Chicago, IL 60610, now playing! Tickets available online

(L-R)Max Thomas, Tim Metzler,Javid Iqbal.
Photo by: Timothy M. Schmidt

Chicago A&E News

  • Hell in a Handbag Productions will conclude its 2024/25 Season with the world premiere of QUEEN FOR A DAY, a one-act comedy/drama written by Tyler Anthony Smith and directed by Stephanie Shaw. This play, featuring Queen Elizabeth I, Halston, and Liza Minnelli, runs from July 9 to August 3, 2025, at the Bramble Arts Loft in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood. Tickets are available online.

  • Steppenwolf Theatre Company, due to popular demand, has extended its Chicago premiere of Noah Diaz’s You Will Get Sick for an additional week. Performances will now run through Sunday, July 20, 2025, at Steppenwolf’s Downstairs Theater. Tickets are currently available for purchase online or through the Box Office.

  • Steppenwolf Theatre Company's production of Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins received two 2025 Tony Awards: Best Play and Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for Kara Young. The play, which premiered at Steppenwolf in 2024, has extended its Broadway run at the Helen Hayes Theater through August 31, 2025. Steppenwolf Artistic Director Glenn Davis accepted the award, dedicating it to the theatre's leadership, staff, board, and ensemble.

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

Email me at [email protected]!

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